Here's another example of why hospital costs are high...
Today's NYT has a story about University Medical Center in Las Vegas, NV - TIPPING THE ODDS FOR A MAKER OF HEART IMPLANTS.
Some of UMC's cardiologists are paid consultants for BIOTRONIK, a manufacturer of pacemakers and defibrillators, and earn fees as high as $5,000/month. BIOTRONIK has cornered the market on pacemakers and defibrillators...last year 250 of the 263 patients, or 95% who had a heart device implanted at UMC got one made by BIOTRONIK.
A federal investigation is examining BIOTRONIK's marketing and sales practices.
A heart device, which can cost up to $35,000, has among the highest profit margin of any medical product - upwards of 25%.
Other corporations who manufacture heart devices are St. Jude Medical, Medtronic, and Boston Scientific. In January, St. Jude Medical paid $16 million to settle federal charges accusing it of giving kickbacks to doctors so that they would participate in medical studies of the company's product.
Don't complain for what you don't have - be thankful you don't get what you deserve.
Irish Proverb
