Some tests are legitimately expensive, some are “priced for insurance”, and some are a complicated middle ground where you could reasonably argue either way. Like, an MRI isn’t a cheap machine, nor is it devoid of ongoing costs, and the facility requirements to operate one are also extensive. The actual cost to run a single MRI scan though is materially cheap, ignoring labor costs. About the cost in electricity to power a house for a day. Less than $10 dollars.
On the one hand, taking those upfront, ongoing maintenance, and facilities costs and spreading them out over the cost of each scan seems reasonable. Without that money they can’t actually buy and run the machine. It can add up to $500-$10,000 per scan.
On the other hand, if you don’t get the test and the machine is just idle during the time, their costs only go down $10. You could reasonably argue that they should take any offer more than $10 if they have more idle capacity available than is needed for emergency usage.
Some genetic and nuclear testing just intrinsically involves expensive materials. They’re not done often and the materials are difficult to get together safely. Given the nature of the show, those are going to be represented more often. It’s not nearly as fun to watch the rogue doctor fail to charge $75 for an automated metabolic panel as it is to watch him jam a hamster gall bladder full of neptunium up someone’s urethra while spinning them like a rotisserie in an fmri.
In the same way you said hospitals “price for insurance”, I wouldn’t be surprised if medical equipment manufacturers were doing the same, but to hospitals.
Most of the tests themselves aren’t expensive to run, but the equipment is often really expensive and maintenance, repair and software licenses needed use the equipment add expenses. Trained tech time isn’t cheap either, but yeah the costs are still massively inflated in for-profit hospitals.
Are most of these tests actually expensive for the hospital, or is it mostly the hospital overcharging for them?
Some tests are legitimately expensive, some are “priced for insurance”, and some are a complicated middle ground where you could reasonably argue either way. Like, an MRI isn’t a cheap machine, nor is it devoid of ongoing costs, and the facility requirements to operate one are also extensive. The actual cost to run a single MRI scan though is materially cheap, ignoring labor costs. About the cost in electricity to power a house for a day. Less than $10 dollars.
On the one hand, taking those upfront, ongoing maintenance, and facilities costs and spreading them out over the cost of each scan seems reasonable. Without that money they can’t actually buy and run the machine. It can add up to $500-$10,000 per scan.
On the other hand, if you don’t get the test and the machine is just idle during the time, their costs only go down $10. You could reasonably argue that they should take any offer more than $10 if they have more idle capacity available than is needed for emergency usage.
Some genetic and nuclear testing just intrinsically involves expensive materials. They’re not done often and the materials are difficult to get together safely. Given the nature of the show, those are going to be represented more often. It’s not nearly as fun to watch the rogue doctor fail to charge $75 for an automated metabolic panel as it is to watch him jam a hamster gall bladder full of neptunium up someone’s urethra while spinning them like a rotisserie in an fmri.
In the same way you said hospitals “price for insurance”, I wouldn’t be surprised if medical equipment manufacturers were doing the same, but to hospitals.
Most of the tests themselves aren’t expensive to run, but the equipment is often really expensive and maintenance, repair and software licenses needed use the equipment add expenses. Trained tech time isn’t cheap either, but yeah the costs are still massively inflated in for-profit hospitals.
deleted by creator