I am your constituent and I just learned that many off campus, outpatient medical facilities associated with hospitals are allowed to charge hospital rates for common procedures. Colonoscopies, lab work, and MRIs are frequently 2X the cost at such facilities. A recent NY times article documented a case where an X-Ray was 10X the usual outpatient cost.
Hospitals bulk up costs to cover their infrastructure and their associated off campus offices take advantage and charge hospital rates. This is madness and the costs are not tied to reality.
If we had a global budgeting system, as documented in section 611 of HR 3421, the vastly improved Medicare for All Act, such facility costs as rent, utilities, salaries, supplies etc. would be taken covered. Once that’s done there is no need to charge $1000 for a $100 x-ray. I want you to read the bill, it is at https://www.congress.gov/118/bills/hr3421/BILLS-118hr3421ih.pdf, and then I want you to enact it. Your constituents deserve health care that is affordable, not unobtanium. Thank you.
