http://media.soundmedicine.org/segments/031013_1.mp3
Steven Brill, journalist, knows healthcare. Brill’s latest article, ‘Why Medical Bills are Killing Us,’ is the cover story for the March 4, 2013 edition of Time magazine and it’s also the longest story ever to be published in Time. Brill spent months poring over and analyzing medical records, and his findings are fascinating. Many hospitals charge $1.50 for acetaminophen, a generic version of Tylenol, when consumers can buy over 100 of these generic pills for the same price at the drug store. Although $1.50 may not seem very costly, does $15,000 for routine blood work sound high? For cancer patients the cost may be even higher as, many hospitals charge mark-ups in excess of 400% for cancer treatments.