When we talk about high priced medical procedures, MRI scans are one which instantly makes their way into the list. It costs about $2,611 and insurances may or may not cover it. Many people criticize the medical practitioners and hospital owners for charging so much but is it really their fault.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a highly specialized and sophisticated piece of machinery. There are only five companies who make these and their types and intensities vary. A normal MRI machine has the magnetic field strength of about 0.2 – 0.3 teslas and can be as cheap as $150,000 and if we move to the ones which have more magnetic field strength, it can cost you for a large sum of $1 million. Then if we move to the highest powered state of the art MRI machine with a magnetic field strength of 3 teslas, it costs you for $3 million grand! Now, why are these so expensive?
The room made for MRI machines
It is not as easy is as just buy and place, MRI rooms are called MRI suites and are made especially for the procedure. It requires a lot of space costing you extra hundreds and thousands of dollars and you must also ensure that the room is such that it keeps all others safe from the magnetic fields that are outside of the room.
Other than this it requires another room away from the one with the machine so that the computer can be kept away from the magnetic field strength. Intercoms and other safety precautions such as emergency switched again cost you extra dollars. There are so many costs involved such as installation and maintenance costs which brings your bill to an easy $5 million and here’s the thing, the story does not end here.
