Why Are Medical Equipments So Expensive?

Medical equipment is so expensive due to the high research and development costs, the costs of clinical studies, and market factors. An innovative medical device almost always has a premium price. In addition, manufacturers can set prices higher in the hope that the Centers for Medicare %26 Medicaid Services (CMS) will also set reimbursement rates higher. In the midst of a pandemic, governments are on their own to search, procure, and supply their populations with the medical equipment they need to prevent further deaths. As global overseers of their country’s systems, these governments are able to negotiate lower costs for medicines, medical devices, and hospitals.

At the same time, most new brand-name drugs were intended for conditions with relatively low prevalence and therefore contributed little to spending growth. Medical equipment is so expensive, and The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that another important reason for the high costs of certain medical devices is the lack of transparency. Netflix’s new documentary, The Bleeding Edge, examines one of the most important healthcare costs for medical devices. For example, Medicare selected multiple winners in each product category, making it possible to select smaller suppliers rather than just selecting suppliers that were large enough to serve the entire geographical area itself.

These policymakers may find that the United States spends far more per capita on medical devices than the world’s second-largest buyer of medical devices, Japan, or the third-largest buyer, Germany (Table 5-). ECRI Institute learner concludes this session by discussing pricing practices and market practices for medical devices. As healthcare costs continue to rise rapidly in the United States, and medical procedures can cost three to ten times more here than in other first-world countries. The Bleeding Edge documents the complications and high costs of a variety of medical devices, including metal hip replacements, the Essure birth control pill, and the transvaginal network.

Drug pricing negotiations are mainly based on shifts in market share between competing drugs in a particular class of drugs. They can be combined with capital expenditures on buildings, and they can also include long-lasting medical devices. Wynn from Centers for Medicare %26 Medicaid Services shows that the durable medical device (DME) market is increasing prices by around 20 to 25 percent.

References:

• Medical equipment pricing is completely broken when a sling costs this much – Los Angeles Times
• Prices That Are Too High – The Healthcare Imperative – NCBI Bookshelf

This blog does not provide medical advice. It is intended for informational purposes only. Do not use it as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or disease prevention.  Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition.

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Gabriel Nieves, LAC Healthcare Solutions, LAC.us Staff, and/or any/all contributors to this blog/site.