3 ms·
Just fyi, in Paris you can get an MRI (they call it an IRM)(or a CT Scan) at a private clinic with fairly-modern e.g: GE machines (don't know how old) for 180 e
by NatW 13y ago
Just fyi, in Paris you can get an MRI (they call it an IRM)(or a CT Scan) at a private clinic with fairly-modern e.g: GE machines (don't know how old) for 180 euros (including an assessment by a radiologist). Ahead of an MRI, you additionally pay a pharmacy 20-50 euros for injections they'll administer to you during the MRI, depending on which type of scan you're getting (your weight), etc. You leave with a DVD that summarizes your results and a report. I imagine the fees are subsidized by the government, but I actually don't know if it is since it is a private clinic I'm talking about. I imagine the technicians, doctors, and assistants are likely paid less in France.
- adventured 13y agoAverage radiologist in the US makes roughly $315,000 (Medscape 2011); 1/3 earn over $400,000. In France that would be closer to $100,000 (70k euros) typically.
- jonknee 13y agoThe radiology fee is separate from what it costs to be scanned (usually). CTs are pretty cheap though, depending on what you get scanned it's usually $200-500. Not sure what happened with the OP, perhaps it was an ER or something where the prices have little to do with anything based in reality.
- fluidcruft 13y agoFYI, in the US, the thousands-of-dollars list price for an MRI turns in to a few hundred if Medicare or an insurance company are paying (and no, I'm not talking about what the patient gets charged out of pocket--the actual total amount charged is reduced that much).
- yummyfajitas 13y agoIt also turns into a few hundred if you tell them you can't pay thousands of dollars, but are willing to take any free slot. MRI is a classic example of high fixed cost, negligible variable cost. Once they buy the machine, it pays to make sure it never runs idle.
- slantyyz 13y agoMakes me glad I live in Canada. I've had several CT scans since 2007 as part of some post-cancer monitoring, and I haven't had to pay a cent.
- HeyLaughingBoy 13y agoI wondered about that. My wife has a rare brain disease and has had multiple MRI's but I've never had more than a $30 co-pay. I'm sure that if it really cost the insurance co $5k, then I'd be paying a percentage of that cost instead of a fixed amount.