reporter: good morn, martha. hard to believe you might save money by not using your insurance but across the country today hospitals are offering cash digs counts and other incentives to patients so they get their money faster. at marin general north of san francisco patients with insurance who settle the hospital bills right away can get 25% off. even those without insurance could get as much as half off the bill if they pay the hospital directly within 30 days. for those patients that are in the position to pay their bill promptly it is good for them because they get a discount and good for the hospital because it saves us money on the back end on the collection side. reporter: administrators say collecting payments costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. after they bill the insurance company, it can take up to six months to get reimbursed. only then do they bill the patient. health care experts say bad debt is putting hospitals at risk. it is an industry that faces hard time
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