3 ms·

I wonder how they got the raw hospital price data, is it published anywhere?

• joecool1029 8y ago
  Just run a search for '<your local hospital name> chargemaster'. I found my hospital's price sheets in xlsx format easily. Just had a CT done a couple weeks ago for abdomenal pain, $750 without contrast according to the sheet (if I did not have insurance). I looked into costs for past procedures I had done in high school. I had kidney stones at 16. Lithotripsy was required which alone would have cost ~$65k according to the sheets. Tallying up the other minor stuff like meds and facility fees would have brought me close to $100k. Now you argue, 'well insurance pays less'. Of course they do. But I had experience in my mid-20's having to use hospital services without insurance. Rabies shots came to around $17k billed, I paid around $2k, and spent a year fighting to have my credit brought back to normal (hospital never applied a payment from a CDC program then reported me to collections).
  • codegladiator 8y ago
    > Rabies shots came to around $17k billed, I paid around $2k Am I understanding something wrong or what ? Rabies vaccinations are something about $10 in India. I knew prices are up in US but this seems another level.
    • ashelmire 8y ago
      Yeah, this is real. Cheaper to fly to India if you don’t have insurance and need medical care.
    • joecool1029 8y ago
      So rabies vaccine should be dirt cheap. Like real cost is $10. I had immunoglobin, which is given if you have been exposed to rabies vector without being vacinnated beforehand. This is where the money is as it's made from modified human cells. I would guess this would still run a couple thousand even in India.