Real Hospital Bill: $546 for Bag of Saltwater

[longknife]

That's for 6 liters of water and 54 grams of salt
By Kate Seamons, Newser Staff, Posted Aug 26, 2013

Just one of many examples of ridiculous prices for medical supplies and equipment. Who's to blame for this? The medical providers or the insurance companies?

(Newser) – As far as price tags go, it's an attention grabber: $546 for six liters of water and 54 grams of salt. But that's what one patient was charged for what the New York Times calls "one of the most common components of emergency medicine": the IV bag. Nina Bernstein digs into the numbers by way of a 2012 food poisoning outbreak in upstate New York. She reviewed some of the more than 100 affected patients' bills, and quickly realized that some were charged as much as 200 times the manufacturer's price for a liter of saline—which has recently ranged from 44 cents to $1—plus another change for "IV administration."

Read more @ Real Hospital Bill: $546 for Bag of Saltwater - That's for 6 liters of water and 54 grams of salt

 

[Moonglow]

it was this way before 2008

 

[eflatminor]

Who's to blame for this? The medical providers or the insurance companies?

Neither. The central planners meddling in what should be a free market of voluntary choice are to blame. If everyone paid for there own medial insurance and healthcare out of their own pocket without government dictating who can compete and under what terms, you'd have competition driving prices down and results up. Instead, we have 500 dollar bags of salt water.

 

[Joe Steel]

Who's to blame for this? The medical providers or the insurance companies?

Neither. The central planners meddling in what should be a free market of voluntary choice are to blame. If everyone paid for there own medial insurance and healthcare out of their own pocket without government dictating who can compete and under what terms, you'd have competition driving prices down and results up. Instead, we have 500 dollar bags of salt water.

Because private hospitals are charging what they can get from private insurance companies. The government had nothing to do with it.

 

[syrenn]

That's for 6 liters of water and 54 grams of salt
By Kate Seamons, Newser Staff, Posted Aug 26, 2013

Just one of many examples of ridiculous prices for medical supplies and equipment. Who's to blame for this? The medical providers or the insurance companies?

(Newser) – As far as price tags go, it's an attention grabber: $546 for six liters of water and 54 grams of salt. But that's what one patient was charged for what the New York Times calls "one of the most common components of emergency medicine": the IV bag. Nina Bernstein digs into the numbers by way of a 2012 food poisoning outbreak in upstate New York. She reviewed some of the more than 100 affected patients' bills, and quickly realized that some were charged as much as 200 times the manufacturer's price for a liter of saline—which has recently ranged from 44 cents to $1—plus another change for "IV administration."

Read more @ Real Hospital Bill: $546 for Bag of Saltwater - That's for 6 liters of water and 54 grams of salt

a band aid, some neosporin and a prescription in the ER..... was 10k+

 

[eflatminor]

Who's to blame for this? The medical providers or the insurance companies?

Neither. The central planners meddling in what should be a free market of voluntary choice are to blame. If everyone paid for there own medial insurance and healthcare out of their own pocket without government dictating who can compete and under what terms, you'd have competition driving prices down and results up. Instead, we have 500 dollar bags of salt water.

Because private hospitals are charging what they can get from private insurance companies. The government had nothing to do with it.

Your ignorance to the realities of actual competition is overwhelming. I'm beginning to think you couldn't be this stupid. I smell a troll.