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As some of you may know, our son-in-law recently passed away after a stay in two Spectrum Hospitals. He had no medical or hospital insurance. He was on special injection, copaxone, to slow down the progress of his Multiple Sclerosis which cost him $198 for a 30 day supply. The copaxone medication was taken to the hospitals with him so he could receive the injections while hospitalized. Upon his death our daughter received a bill from the Spectrum Memorial Hospital in Ludington, Michigan. She requested an itemized statement from the Ludington hospital and it showed a charge for the copaxone medication of something like $138 per injection; as if the hospital had supplied the copaxone themselves. She called the hospital and they told her that it would be subtracted from the bill; sorry for the error. Then she received a bill from the Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It totaled over $50,000. She called them and asked for an itemized statement of the charges. The itemized bill showed a three time charge of $10,000 for the copaxone; as if the hospital had supplied the copaxone themselves. That is an erroneous charge of $30,000 to cover three injections for which he had already paid and supplied for himself at $6.60 an injection. She called this hospital and was told that they would have to "discuss" it with the billing department and it might take up to two weeks to hear the results. Discussion, what discussion? The hospital was supplied with the copaxone and their billing for it at $10,000 a shot is ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS!! Think about it. This represents over half of the bill. If he had insurance, if would have been billed to the insurance company immediately and probably paid by now. How can these hospitals get away with all this 'erroneous' billing for unfounded charges? THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR HOSITAL CARE SYSTEM!!! They seem to go unchecked with all the fees they are charging. I mean, come on now, $30,000 for injections that only cost $19.80.