well, I agree with you actually, but I have my own reasons for persisting in this research. I just tried again and again wound up on a bunch on dumbed-down websites about what it *is,* where I want to know what it costs.
Yahoo Answers has the question, but the answers are for an abdominal scan, which is a different animal, and the prices are all over the board as well. That's one example. I'm probably going to try calling the billing department of the local hospital tomorrow. If I needed this procedure in real life, this would not be an option. On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 6:47 PM, Michael Dinowitz <[email protected] > wrote: > > Without insurance that CAT scan will cost more than most peoples > medical savings accounts and those that are left will find their > account sorely drained. As someone who has paid for drugs and > treatment both on and off insurance, I can tell you that medical > insurance is totally needed. Just have a baby, look at the hospital > bill, and think how much you would have to pay from this "medical > savings account". Hospital stay, delivery, checkup for mother, checkup > for child, and this is all after the birth. Most obstetricians want > bi-monthly visits for the first few months and then monthly visits. > And an ultrasound. And, and, and. We can be talking 10k in 'true' > costs easily. > > On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 8:32 PM, Dana<[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I am not going to comment on your business sense. But for this question, > > take insurance out of the picture. Gruss thinks we should all have > medical > > savings accounts and shop around for our doctors/services. I am > commenting > > that it does not seem to be possible to do so, at least not easily and > using > > the internet. I mean, what is the cost of a CAT scan? Really? I don't see > a > > way to find out short of calling the hospital and *they* are going to > tell > > me that if i think I might need one I should come see a doctor right away > > and not worry about it. > > > > On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 6:09 PM, Michael Dinowitz < > [email protected] > >> wrote: > > > >> > >> Competition between insurance plans may work but for drugs? No way. > >> This is what I said earlier about a centralized system. There are not > >> a lot of drug companies out there and mostly a single company will > >> produce a single drug. Even generics are not widely produced. Add that > >> to the fact that many times your getting drugs, weather named or > >> generic, from a single distributor. And many plans ask you to use > >> their mail order drug plan, which means you're stuck with that single > >> distributor. Some automated warehouse in the middle of nowhere. > >> Competition woulds on the macro scale here but not on the micro. But > >> when it comes to business, I suck, so I can be totally wrong. > >> Actually, knowing my business sense, it's probably exactly the reverse > >> of what I say. :) > >> > >> On Sun, Aug 2, 2009 at 8:01 PM, Dana<[email protected]> wrote: > >> > > >> > I have recently been researching the costs of certain drugs and > >> procedures > >> > and I have found a flaw in the idea that we can reduce costs through > >> > competition, an additional flaw beyind the fact that people really > aren't > >> > shopping for price when they do shop, they are shopping for > compatibility > >> in > >> > outlook, perceived quality, and sometimes closest services if it's an > >> > emergency. > >> > > >> > But beyond that --- providers don't publish their prices. Sometimes it > is > >> > possible, if you are diligent, to find out what Medicare thinks the > >> service > >> > is worth. But that is not what an individual would pay. Perhaps I am > >> missing > >> > something, but I don't think so. > >> > > >> > Let's take for example Nexium. Can anyone find a link for what this > costs > >> at > >> > your local pharmacy? The official web page talks about "average > co-pay." > >> > What about oh, a simple xray of an arm or a leg? A CAT scan of the > chest? > >> > > >> > If I missed something simple because it was late and I was frustrated, > >> fine > >> > -- I will be glad of the clarification. If not, I think that this > theory > >> is > >> > dead in the water. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > >> > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Want to reach the ColdFusion community with something they want? Let them know on the House of Fusion mailing lists Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:301334 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
