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How on earth can x ray cost $69,210.32? Here in Finland it costs something like 20 € (well, I know that's not the true cost, but still).
by pkstn 5y ago
How on earth can x ray cost $69,210.32? Here in Finland it costs something like 20 € (well, I know that's not the true cost, but still).
- CogitoCogito 5y agoIt doesn't cost that it's just that medical fraud is legal in the US.
- phkahler 5y ago>> How on earth can x ray cost $69,210.32? Here in Finland it costs something like 20 € (well, I know that's not the true cost, but still). How can an x-ray cost more than a pair of shoes? They used to use x-rays at the shoe store to check fit - for free. Say this to any doctor in the US and watch the silence on their face.
- recuter 5y agoThe doctors of course have as much to do with the price of x-rays as Al Bundy.
- phkahler 5y agoMost doctors don't know what the cost is, and it's way beyond their hourly rate. Edit: BTW, loved the Al Bundy reference.
- kube-system 5y agoA radiologist may give you a better medical diagnosis. "Is my foot broken? Not sure, but it's a size 10"
- lbriner 5y agoI was wondering the same. Sure, I get the fact that people can hike the prices but I thought that the insurance companies would not allow a hospital to charge whatever they like, at least if you want to claim it from insurance. XRay machines are pretty basic afaik compared to say, an MRI and at that price you could get 2 nights in the New York Hilton penthouse!
- dekhn 5y agorack rates, amortization, standing infrastructure. Most people don't pay rack rates (that's the quote for $69K), many orgs amortize costs across many people, and hospitals run 24/7 and have to maintain a lot of standing infra. The capital costs for acquiring a pro-grade x-ray (and staff it) are nontrivial. But yes, a single x-ray should never cause a bill for $69K. Even if the user only pays $5K.
- jpollock 5y agoIt costs that much in an emergency room, where the price is based on having multiple x-ray machines + radiologists available, 24/7, 365 with a 5 minute wait. If you go to a clinic, which works 9-5 M-F, they're $40 (chest x-ray for a green card), 20minute wait.
- deltaonefour 5y ago7-11 is 24/7 hours too and an even faster wait time for a ice cold coke. I can't tell if your post is just illustrating the difference or justifying it because a 5 minute wait time and 24/7 radiologists on call doesn't justify 69k in any reality.
- jpollock 5y agoIt's not just an x-ray machine. The ER must amortize all equipment required to support their peak usage. So that's MRI machines, doctors, nurses, radiologists, orderlies, everyone. Then that cost is spread across all patients, regardless of what they use. This is why in countries with socialized healthcare, there is a lot of encouragement to go to "Urgent Care" instead of "Emergency". Those centers don't have fancy equipment, but they're able to xray and set an arm. That allows the healthcare system to reduce the opex - but does increase capex/patient. Think of it like having machines allocated to deal with a monthly 5x traffic spike (it's a sale!), and an annual 10x traffic spike (Christmas!). The rest of the time, they're sitting there idle, but the capex and unsheddable opex is amortized across all of the traffic. No, you can't scale dynamically, you're the primary occupant/hosting provider.
- imgabe 5y ago> "I avoided surgery, but they still billed nearly $70,000," Osman tells Popular Mechanics, adding that the bill included an abdominal CT scan, medication, and two nights in a hospital room. Still exorbitant, but it wasn’t just for the X-ray. Ultimately it’s because hospitals and insurance companies are part of a legal price-fixing scheme.
- RandallBrown 5y agoIt wasn't just the X Ray that cost 69k. At the end of the video he calls an urgent care place and it's about $70 for an X Ray.