Waste: One Reason the Cost of Healthcare is Out of Control
While visiting my brother in the hospital recently, I noticed this set of stainless steel instruments sitting on the table. He said that they come as a set of sterilized instruments. The doctor used just one and was then going to throw the entire set out.
From what little research I have done, it looks like this set would cost somewhere between $125 and $500. My brother said the hospital likely charges the patient $800 or more for these. That means the hospital is charging $800 for a single use of a single pair of surgical scissors!
When he worked in a hospital many years ago, they cleaned, sterilized and reused them. Not anymore apparently.
In doing some of my own research, I came across an article from CNN where a patient was charged $863 for a single pair of forceps that she found online for $192 each (when purchased in a pack of 6). Even $192 seems outrageous for a single pair of forceps.
No wonder healthcare costs are out of control.