South Carolina hospital rates in dispute

Lawyers representing uninsured and underinsured South Carolina hospital patients hope to convince the state's Supreme Court that their clients were routinely denied discounts offered to the insured through 2004. The discounts can shave 50 percent or more off a typical hospital bill, thanks to a little-known loophole that at the time required hospitals to offer anyone the best rate possible if their bills are paid within seven days of being treated. The hospitals' lawyers say the loophole is being misinterpreted.