> One thing which I couldn't understand is why in a developed country, lab tests are so expensive. An Xray, costs about $100; similar thing costs about Rs 80 (e

> One thing which I couldn't understand is why in a developed country, lab tests are so expensive. An Xray, costs about $100; similar thing costs about Rs 80 (equivalent to $1.25). Many lab tests - though not all - are effectively commoditized. There is little difference in quality, and the requisite supplies are widely available at low costs. X-rays have been used for medical purposes for literally over 100 years, and it's not very difficult to train someone to take an x-ray properly using modern equipment. (Actually interpreting the results of a test is a different matter). For tests which fall under these categories, it will always be more expensive to obtain them in the US than in India, because the cost-of-living in the US is much higher, and paying people to actually perform the tests dominates the costs of the test itself. There's a little more to it than that, but that's the general idea.