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As the other reply mentioned, I wonder if this is just the human cost insanity infecting veterinary costs -- MRI tech could be used for humans, so the machine i
by TameAntelope 6y ago
As the other reply mentioned, I wonder if this is just the human cost insanity infecting veterinary costs -- MRI tech could be used for humans, so the machine is absurdly expensive, and vets have to charge more to justify the cost of having a dedicated pet MRI.
- jjoonathan 6y agoPets tend to be smaller than humans, so manufacturers could ensure that pet MRIs don't drag down human MRI prices by making smaller MRI machines that only work for pets. They probably do.
- Kalium 6y agoTend to be, but it's not that rare for someone to have a dog that's a hundred pounds and five feet long. That's in the range for an adult human.
- jrowley 6y agoMy dad, a radiologist once had patient that was so large that they couldn't fit them on a conventional CT scanner. Luckily this was a university town, so they were able to access the vet's large animal scanner.
- Kalium 6y agoMakes sense. Horses and cows get much larger than humans!
- jjoonathan 6y agoI suppose that does make sense. Re: the large patient, yikes!
- mattkrause 6y agoThere are "small animal" MRI machines, which are mostly intended for research. The bores are really small: 55mm or so is not uncommon, so a mouse would fit, but nothing much bigger. Other animals are usually scanned on a machine meant for humans (sometimes even the exact same ones, very early in the morning or late at night).
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- apendleton 6y agoMRI machines also require superconducting magnets and liquid helium, high-amperage utility hookups, etc., so they might just be expensive regardless.
- unexpected 6y agoMaybe, but MRIs in India (in better machines, no less) are MUCH cheaper.
- pseudosavant 6y agoTrue, but in my experience getting a few MRIs, the price from various imaging centers nearby varied (for the exact same MRI) from $500 to $2000. The $2000 place is associated with a local hospital chain that is well regarded. I guess that is how they could negotiate $2000 for an MRI with insurance and the other place (that I went to) was only able to negotiate $500. Honestly, the price for health care in the US is all funny money. I've gotten a single shot, of a very common drug, that was billed at $20k, knocked down to $10k with the "insurance discount", so my 10% co-pay ended up $1000, with insurance! I had a surgery that was billied at $250k where the "discount" was over $150k. That $250k price is clearly not real.
- nicoburns 6y agoAnd theae kinda of prices are why I'll probably never choose to live in the US. How do people live with the possibility that a freak accident could completely and permanently finacially ruin them. The highest medical bill I've ever paid is £8.50. Of course I pay National Insurance to cover the costs of the healthcare system. But as far as I can tell that's no more expensive than what people in the US pay despite their insurance having not nearly the same coverage.
- throwawayboise 6y ago> How do people live with the possibility that a freak accident could completely and permanently finacially ruin them They have insurance. And if they don't, they declare bankruptcy. It's not permanent. It's a seven-year ding on your credit rating.