3 ms·

> A good number are Silicon Valley (or US) problems, the $100 MRI is pretty the cost of an MRI in Europe, but then, it's free for the patient. Same goes for the

> A good number are Silicon Valley (or US) problems, the $100 MRI is pretty the cost of an MRI in Europe, but then, it's free for the patient. Same goes for the ER. FWIW, while the patient-facing cost is about that, I think the actual cost (after accounting for taxes, charitable donations, the radiographer's time, etc) is quite a bit higher.

antr 12y ago
In the EU, the supply of medical services generally qualifies for exemption from VAT, among other taxes. Same applies with charitable donations... that is pretty much a US thing too. The $100 number is an all-in cost. I know this as I come from a family of doctors, unfortunately I'm not one.
- vixen99 12y ago
  Living in Brasov, Romania: price of MRI for a knee is around 400 Lei or around $110. Proportionate prices for others. Not sure but I think these might be the lowest prices in Europe. If you're desperate and your British NHS doctor doesn't agree then this is an answer though I suspect the doctor will then ignore the scan because it was not produced by the NHS (open to correction).
  - antr 12y ago
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/15/why-an-mri-costs-1080-in-america-and-280-in-france/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/15/w...
- irremediable 12y ago
  > In the EU, the supply of medical services generally qualifies for exemption from VAT, among other taxes. Same applies with charitable donations... that is pretty much a US thing too. Just to check we're on the same page: I was talking about taxes and donations that are used to fund the purchase and maintenance of the scanner, radiographers, etc. That is, the patient-facing cost (or consultant-facing cost, or researcher-facing cost, or whatever) might be $100, but how much more expensive would it have been if taxes etc hadn't gone some way towards funding it? I don't know the answer, but I suspect it comes out to be a fair bit. I do academic research using MRI, and (from what I've heard) we see significant price differences according to where a researcher's funding came from, and whether the scan counts as being "on the NHS" or not.

antr 12y ago

In the EU, the supply of medical services generally qualifies for exemption from VAT, among other taxes. Same applies with charitable donations... that is pretty much a US thing too. The $100 number is an all-in cost. I know this as I come from a family of doctors, unfortunately I'm not one.

vixen99 12y ago
Living in Brasov, Romania: price of MRI for a knee is around 400 Lei or around $110. Proportionate prices for others. Not sure but I think these might be the lowest prices in Europe. If you're desperate and your British NHS doctor doesn't agree then this is an answer though I suspect the doctor will then ignore the scan because it was not produced by the NHS (open to correction).
- antr 12y ago
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/15/why-an-mri-costs-1080-in-america-and-280-in-france/ http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/15/w...
irremediable 12y ago
> In the EU, the supply of medical services generally qualifies for exemption from VAT, among other taxes. Same applies with charitable donations... that is pretty much a US thing too. Just to check we're on the same page: I was talking about taxes and donations that are used to fund the purchase and maintenance of the scanner, radiographers, etc. That is, the patient-facing cost (or consultant-facing cost, or researcher-facing cost, or whatever) might be $100, but how much more expensive would it have been if taxes etc hadn't gone some way towards funding it? I don't know the answer, but I suspect it comes out to be a fair bit. I do academic research using MRI, and (from what I've heard) we see significant price differences according to where a researcher's funding came from, and whether the scan counts as being "on the NHS" or not.