Editor’s Spotlight/Take 5: What Does a Shoulder MRI Cost the Consumer?

Excerpt

Anyone hoping to design a rational system of healthcare financing should look at the United States and do the exact opposite. While perhaps cynical, this observation is hard to refute. The entity paying for a service, whether government or commercial, is not the beneficiary. The amount paid for a given procedure or test often bears little resemblance to the true cost of providing the service, and differs substantially depending on where it is performed. In many instances, it is impossible to determine the cost of said procedure until it has been completed. If we are looking for an efficient or rational market, where prices fully reflect all available information, US healthcare isn’t it. …