Just a quick update on our “not for profit” hospital friends and the $4400 CAT scan they did on a surgeon’s employee here in Oklahoma City.  First of all, a correction.  The $800 I quoted for the local independent radiology facility here in town for the same scan was wrong.  It is $850….but includes the radiologist’s fee.  The $4400 scan did not include the radiologist’s fee at the big hospital.

More interesting is this.  The contrast dye that was used on the patient is called Ioversol.  This is available for $19.50.  I checked.  Know what the hospital charged for the use of this dye?  $643.28.  That’s right.  That’s a markup of…well…3298.87%.  How can they still not make a profit?  I don’t understand.

G. Keith Smith, M.D.