why does an IV bag cost $500?
I want professional operators and physicians to look at my details.
What I don't want is dozens of layers of middlemen or ticket clippers (or healthcare driven by profit).
I want professional operators and physicians to look at my details.
What I don't want is dozens of layers of middlemen or ticket clippers (or healthcare driven by profit).
It doesn't outside of the US.
In fact, manufacturers are required to report such prices annually to the federal government, which bases Medicare payments on the average national price plus 6 percent. The limit for one liter of normal saline (a little more than a quart) went to $1.07 this year from 46 cents in 2010, an increase manufacturers linked to the cost of raw materials, fuel and transportation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/27/health/exploring-salines-s...
(which implies that manufacturers aren't the primary beneficiaries of the price that the hospitals charge)
"Hartmanns IV Solution AU$2.73 ex GST
Baxter 0.18% SODIUM CHLORIDE & 4% GLUCOSE IV SOLN 500ML AU$3.72 ex GST " https://www.medshop.com.au/consumables/intravenous-solutions...
The lack of quality health insurance means that a substantial number of people finance healthcare via bankruptcy. That's all priced in. As an insured person or private payer, you pay dramatically more as a result -- it's a hidden tax.