5 ms·

I don’t understand the connection between the cost of hospitalization and a DIY 2d x-ray machine. Where exactly do you go with that? The article states that he

I don’t understand the connection between the cost of hospitalization and a DIY 2d x-ray machine. Where exactly do you go with that? The article states that he underwent an abdominal CT, but of course that’s not what he built. Probably a good thing, too, as whatever radiation he’s emitting would have been substantially higher. I’m just confused about the motivation. There are lots of costs embedded in procedure pricing - some legitimate, some less so. Heaven forbid he goes into hospital and has to have an MRI. I can’t imagine the monstrosity that would result from that DIY project.

lbriner 5y ago
It just sounds to me like a good story to introduce the project. I suppose he is kind of saying "how can they charge this much when I can build one of these at home".
- tsol 5y ago
  Yeah it seems like an excuse to do the project. X-rays aren't all that expensive, usually under $100. Maybe with a reading by a radiologist it can go into the hundreds
dekhn 5y ago
You are right to question the narrative. These days it's common for news articles to play this kind of trick. There are just a lot of hidden costs the DIY youtuber is ignoring.
- deltaonefour 5y ago
  He's right to question the narrative but absolutely insane not to question the 69k cost. That xray is not worth 69k. It's a literal crime that the hospital charges that much.
  - dekhn 5y ago
    have you run a major medical center? Acquired an x-ray machine? Operated it (and paid the staff) for 10 years? if you haven't done that, I'm not sure you have the experience to say how much an x-ray should cost.
    - wbear 5y ago
      you're right about the hidden costs not mentioned in the article. He stayed at the hospital for 2 days, consulted with doctors, and received medication. this is why the bill is so high. however, an x-ray should cost around $200. there's no need for an "expert" medical billing administrator here, $200 is double or triple the price of an x-ray in many european countries, and many facilities in america (where the youtuber lives) will charge less than $1000.
      - dekhn 5y ago
        So, an x-ray machine costs $5-10M to purchase. That's just the capital cost. You operate it 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year- that's 2400 x-rays. So the amortized cost for one X-ray over a year is $2400. But! The x-ray machine runs on special generator power because it's expensive to shut these machines down, and it's run by a fulltime tech, and the hospital has many other expenses related to your visit. This is why hospitals run their x-ray machines at such a high rate of utilization- to amortize the capital costs. NOte that x-ray machines in modern hospitals aren't cheap off the shelf units- they're major installations which require dedicated rooms with shielding, etc, etc. $200 is the out of pocket cost. Your government has already prenegotiated some payment details that you couldn't see.
    - deltaoneseven 5y ago
      I know dog shit isn't worth 69k and nobody needs to acquire a dog shit maker, and operate a dog shit maker nor pay for the staff making a dog shit maker to know that dog shit isn't worth 69k. Basic common sense. Maybe the above is a bad analogy. Put it this way. I've been to hospitals outside of the US and paid for x-ray services. That's how I know. That's how Everyone knows ... 69k a crime. What I don't understand is why there exists someone defending something so obvious. Are you an X-ray operator?

lbriner 5y ago

It just sounds to me like a good story to introduce the project. I suppose he is kind of saying "how can they charge this much when I can build one of these at home".

tsol 5y ago
Yeah it seems like an excuse to do the project. X-rays aren't all that expensive, usually under $100. Maybe with a reading by a radiologist it can go into the hundreds

dekhn 5y ago

You are right to question the narrative. These days it's common for news articles to play this kind of trick. There are just a lot of hidden costs the DIY youtuber is ignoring.

deltaonefour 5y ago
He's right to question the narrative but absolutely insane not to question the 69k cost. That xray is not worth 69k. It's a literal crime that the hospital charges that much.
- dekhn 5y ago
  have you run a major medical center? Acquired an x-ray machine? Operated it (and paid the staff) for 10 years? if you haven't done that, I'm not sure you have the experience to say how much an x-ray should cost.
  - wbear 5y ago
    you're right about the hidden costs not mentioned in the article. He stayed at the hospital for 2 days, consulted with doctors, and received medication. this is why the bill is so high. however, an x-ray should cost around $200. there's no need for an "expert" medical billing administrator here, $200 is double or triple the price of an x-ray in many european countries, and many facilities in america (where the youtuber lives) will charge less than $1000.
    - dekhn 5y ago
      So, an x-ray machine costs $5-10M to purchase. That's just the capital cost. You operate it 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year- that's 2400 x-rays. So the amortized cost for one X-ray over a year is $2400. But! The x-ray machine runs on special generator power because it's expensive to shut these machines down, and it's run by a fulltime tech, and the hospital has many other expenses related to your visit. This is why hospitals run their x-ray machines at such a high rate of utilization- to amortize the capital costs. NOte that x-ray machines in modern hospitals aren't cheap off the shelf units- they're major installations which require dedicated rooms with shielding, etc, etc. $200 is the out of pocket cost. Your government has already prenegotiated some payment details that you couldn't see.
  - deltaoneseven 5y ago
    I know dog shit isn't worth 69k and nobody needs to acquire a dog shit maker, and operate a dog shit maker nor pay for the staff making a dog shit maker to know that dog shit isn't worth 69k. Basic common sense. Maybe the above is a bad analogy. Put it this way. I've been to hospitals outside of the US and paid for x-ray services. That's how I know. That's how Everyone knows ... 69k a crime. What I don't understand is why there exists someone defending something so obvious. Are you an X-ray operator?