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The article in Time magazine, "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills are Killing Us", points out non-profit tax-exempt hospitals are on average making a 28 % profit. And the markup on drugs, materials, supplies is outrageous.
The author cites provides endless examples like this:
- a chemotherapy drug that costs $300 for the manufacturer, is sold to the hospital for $1500, and is billed to the patient receiving it for $13,000.
- a box of gauze that is billed to the patient for $77
- one Aspirin costing the patient $1.50 a 1500% markup
As far as drugs are concerned, I take it you think companies should pay for all the R&D on their own and not reflect that in the price? And the $13k figure it probably for a course of treatment, not one dose. Not to mention that things are artificially inflated due to the way services have to be billed to insurance to receive a fair payment. When I did massage therapy, we had to bill something like $200 for an hour just to get $45 from Blue Cross.
As far as drugs are concerned, I take it you think companies should pay for all the R&D on their own and not reflect that in the price? And the $13k figure it probably for a course of treatment, not one dose. Not to mention that things are artificially inflated due to the way services have to be billed to insurance to receive a fair payment. When I did massage therapy, we had to bill something like $200 for an hour just to get $45 from Blue Cross.
It was not for a course of treatment.
Yes the health insurance companies will bargain the prices down, but someone without health insurance will receive the full bill. Even with health insurance the medical service providers will usually bill the individual for what they are charging above and beyond the reimbursed amount. That's how a serious illness can result in bankruptcy in this country, when it doesn't in places like Canada.
As far as drugs are concerned, I take it you think companies should pay for all the R&D on their own and not reflect that in the price? And the $13k figure it probably for a course of treatment, not one dose. Not to mention that things are artificially inflated due to the way services have to be billed to insurance to receive a fair payment. When I did massage therapy, we had to bill something like $200 for an hour just to get $45 from Blue Cross.
Seeing as how the governments of the other developed countries cap the amount pharmaceutical companies charge for drugs, why should the American consumer pay all the R&D costs?
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And the $13k figure it probably for a course of treatment, not one dose. Not to mention that things are artificially inflated due to the way services have to be billed to insurance to receive a fair payment. When I did massage therapy, we had to bill something like $200 for an hour just to get $45 from Blue Cross.
