No One Ever Mentions...

            In the health care debate, no one ever mentions needlessly inflated prices. Yes, people talk about the high  “cost of health care,” usually in relation to expensive hospitalizations, specialized tests and procedures and the growing number of people now being covered by insurance. We do make mention of the need for tort reform so doctors aren’t sued for bad outcomes rather than poor practice. We acknowledge the cost of malpractice insurance and maintaining an office that requires staff for nursing, reception, record keeping and accounting. Truly, it’s a far cry from “Doc” in Mayberry, making house calls for ten dollars or a chicken.

            My pet peeve is the inflated price of simple objects that require no research and development, that are simple in purpose and construction. But because these objects are used in a “medical” setting, they suddenly cost a fortune.

            Years ago when I was working in a hospital unit, the nurse manager presented us with a medical supply catalog. She wanted us to select a sort of carry-all that would hold all we needed to start IVs at the patient’s bedside.  The prices were outrageous! Instead, we went to the local DYI store and purchased a tackle box for a song. It worked great.

            I was in a drug/medical supply store and noticed that the price of a disposable male urinal was almost $6. Good heavens! I checked the price on Amazon and found I could order a case of 48 for $19.98 plus shipping. A little math showed I would be purchasing each urinal for 58 cents each instead of almost $6.

            Make no mistake. These costs are passed along to the insurance companies, who should know better than to cover such outlandish expenses buried in hospital bills. We consumers should wise up when we must pay out of pocket for simple items that require no medical expertise. A minute of market research around those urinals would save a consumer $260. Caveat emptor.