This is a huge problem in US health care financing: we have a fee-for-service model, no price transparency, and a consumer base (insulated from a lot of the costs of procedures by indirect payment through employer-provided insurance) conditioned to think procedures are inherently good. We waste billions annually on procedures that shouldn't be delivered at all.
I'm fond of pointing out the stat (true as of a year ago) that Massachusetts (I think it's MA?) has more MRI machines than the entire country of Canada.
>"I'm fond of pointing out the stat (true as of a year ago) that Massachusetts (I think it's MA?) has more MRI machines than the entire country of Canada."
Long wait times (6-12 months+) for MRIs (due to a lack of both machines and technicians) are a frequent complaint by Canadians.
Yep. Wealthy Canadians often come to the USA as medical tourists and pay cash to skip the queue at home for elective procedures like MRIs or joint replacements.
I'm happy to confess I don't understand US medical care but OP was saying that $800 was the price they paid but you're saying that if one had "US insurance" it would be "less than half of that" ?
I mean if you have insurance I don't know why it's costing you anything but regardless it's hardly surprising that you're cost is less than the person paying cash ?
Most people with insurance in the US have something called a “copay” although not all. And yes I’m surprised that it’s quicker or cheaper here than Canada.
tptacek · · focus · HN ↗
I'm fond of pointing out the stat (true as of a year ago) that Massachusetts (I think it's MA?) has more MRI machines than the entire country of Canada.
nickff · · focus · HN ↗
Long wait times (6-12 months+) for MRIs (due to a lack of both machines and technicians) are a frequent complaint by Canadians.
nradov · · focus · HN ↗
Teever · · focus · HN ↗
I think private MRIs have been around, at least in my province anyways, for close to 30 years.
EA-3167 · · focus · HN ↗
Jesus... I can get a chest-abdomen-pelvis MRI on US insurance for less than half of that, and the lead time is measured in weeks at most.
glaucon · · focus · HN ↗
I mean if you have insurance I don't know why it's costing you anything but regardless it's hardly surprising that you're cost is less than the person paying cash ?
EA-3167 · · focus · HN ↗