[genmed]

The $55 cost analysis:

The nice (or not so nice) lady who took your information originally $12/hr, 10 minutes $2

Then the nice triage lady who is a nurse or nursing assistant $12, 10 minutes $2

PA/NP//Dr $30/hr (low, around here the salary is higher for all these jobs, but just trying to get to our $55), 20 minutes $10. The "4 minutes" to see a NP/PA/Dr does not include the time to read the x-rays (sure let's say 5 minutes, but bear with me, the time to write charts - I've done it, it's a pain, the time to write the order to get the x-ray, the time to write/get the perscription. Sure each of these takes "5 minutes" -- and they add up)

X-ray technician $12/hr, 10 minutes $2

Film and chemicals/digital (not including the machine which is $250-500k each) $10 for 2 xrays

Crutches $10-15

Bandages/Soft cast $10-15 (or more depending)

Tylenol no 3 -- how many pills? Let's say $5

So yeah... you could come up with $55 dollars in this scenario.

Now add in your % of the bed ($7-50k each), electricity, vital signs (blood pressure machines $3k), billing, the technicians to fix the equipment (keep it up to date, the disposables on the equipment), the cost of laundry of sheets ($2 minimum usually more), costs to clean and sterilize, don't forget employer expenses (401k, vacation time, health services, social security, continuing education costs, malpractice insurance)....

My point is the hospital costs are probably closer to $100-150. Add in the people who don't pay, the insurance (medicare/medicaid) that pay less than costs. Does $750 seem high -- yes it does. My husband broke his leg last year and our ER visit was $400. I'm sure costs vary with region to region and if you're bill's so high, maybe so are the salaries and other costs.

You argue medical equipment is high. Yes it is. If you were to just have a blood gas drawn you're looking at the cost of sterile gloves (and probably nonlatex per a lot of hospital and safety policies now) at $10, a sterile one use syringe $5, running the lab results $5-10, time to draw blood gas and hold the pressure $10, person to deliver the blood gas (stat or it's no good) to the lab on ice labeled...

Actual medical equipment is VERY expensive. They have to be calibrated, inspected, serviced, disposable parts replaced on certain intervals. The most cost efficient hospitals have a whole department just to do this, others have contracts. Hospitals have a lot of hurdles to jump through to stay accredited, and even with all those safety checks... it's not perfect (and that's for another discussion). Universal healthcare isn't going to diminish these costs.

Oh and my favorite the costs of electrical outlets in hospitals! You can pick up an electrical outlet at your local home improvement store for $1.50, the hospital grade (and hospitals HAVE to use these) outlet $35.

If the insurance games, the differences in reimbursement, the nonpayment of services, the write-offs (Hospitals do believe it or not write off a lot of costs as "lost" because they can't bill for it. Especially that bloodwork you needed for a diagnosis, but your official diagnosis doesn't call for that test). I'd support a universal healthcare that works. I doubt it would bring down costs as dramatically as your thinking though. I also seriously doubt this country could and would come up with a universal healthcare plan that can and would work. Other countries with universal healthcare, such as Canada and the U.K. have people on waitlists to get procedures that they need. Who's going to agree to that?

My problems with Medicaid it's really not universal coverage for low incomes.. now guidelines vary to state to state, but for several you don't qualify if you are above the federal poverty level or have assets greater than $2k-2.5k per person. Federal poverty levels are a little over $13k for a family of 2 and $20k for a family of 4. Do you own a home? Do you own a car? Do you work at a job that doesn't provide healthcare?
Imagine being married as a family of 4 making $20k before taxes, and you have a car and maybe a small house. For some of you.. common medical expenses are going to seem okay, for others can't even imagine. Now add in wellness checkups... Ooh and $9/hr (I can think of lots of jobs that pay this amount) isn't 20k, but maybe you make $11 an hour and now are at $22k? Some states cover all children, some don't. Are you lazy because your job only pays $11 per hour?
Look up your state's Medicaid guidelines, it's an interesting read here.