For nearly a decade, Gundersen Health System’s hospital in La Crosse, Wis., boosted the price of knee-replacement surgery an average of 3% a year. By 2016, the average list price was more than $50,000, including the surgeon and anesthesiologist.... The actual cost? $10,550 at most, including the physicians. The list price was five times that amount...
This fits in with the theme of Overcharged, by Charles Silver and David A. Hyman. They argue that the problem is third-party payments.
I am all in favor of increasing the share of out-of-pocket spending
MA C'E' UN MISTERO: If you charge five times what something costs, you should show fantastic profits. I don’t believe we find that in the health care sector. Profits in many cases, yes. But nothing so spectacular... show me where that money goes... I bet you won’t find anything...
