I wonder how much of it actually goes to the surgeons and healthcare personnel... They're frequently overworked.

Sadly no easy solution to it. Independent companies supply tools and meds. Priority 1 of an independent company is make money to not go bankrupt. Excessive regulations and caps on prices would mean risking losing against competition in other countries. Also research costs ridiculous amount of money and doesn't always result in marketable product. Money used has to be recouped, so if prices are capped, no one will want to risk investing money in research. Alternative would be state-owned companies, but uses tax money, in democracy if given choice between 100$ extra tax every year for research on rare disease or 100$ less tax, majority will vote less tax, so doesn't really work either...

Exactly this. I broke my tail bone once and before the hospital would give me an X-ray, they had to make sure I wasn't pregnant. $320 for a urine pregnancy test. A******s.

porcupine - you have to be kidding me. $320 for a pregnancy test?

That's horrendous. I'm sorry to hear that. :(

Perhaps you're right and some of it is disposable equipment...

Thanks for the link John. Good to read various perspectives.

Government bureaucracy if about 7-12%. Aetna is 30%.

Exactly! I used to have excellent insurance...than Obamacare hit. Now, my deductible is $5,000 per person, and premiums are going up. I need to get on welfare... :(

Right. Easy enough to test that (or similar) theory. Look at what a doctor charges when billing insurance compared to direct pay.

Yeah that's what I suspected!!! Something's very wrong with that figure for 'sterile supplies'.

Jesus, really? They should at least let you take that s**t home with you then.

Yeah the 'sterile supplies' / 'disposable supplies' thing in Singapore is a joke. Literally, an ice-cream stick. $5 for a goddamn ice cream stick.

The elected officials who support insurance caps are the ones who pandered to Pro-Lifers to get elected.

When you all start worrying about the hundreds of thousands of kids in the system instead of a woman's body, then you may speak, Ron.

I think Bob 2.0 is referring to those who support this stupid health care bill in Congress, and claim to be on the side of life.

then you must resist the healthcare bill - it is a death warrant to many Americans -

They are doing this right now Your senators are voting this in in 2017 Part of the AHCA You OK with it? Because my grand will die if this goes through and will do w/o care she needs If your prochoice you have to know that children are not always born 'normal' and families may need help Not the insurance companies The senators are voting this in to save the insurance companies and because they don't want healthy people to pay for insurance even though we know that accidents happen and we age and they will need tit then It is just like car, house insurance you buy for protection and by doing that we can all have more affordable insurance price we pay for being human beings with compassion and care for others

Who says pro-lifers do not care about kids in the system? Maybe pro-choice people should care about getting those kids (and mothers) out of the system instead of perpetuating systems of co-dependency that do nothing but promote a class system and propagate hopelessness.

"Pro-lifers" (really pro-birth) voted in the monsters who have no conscience and no empathy for others into office. They are so concerned about embryos and don't care if the already born children live or die. They've proved this by voting for the very politicians who vote to take healthcare away from children like Ethan. Get offended all you want to, you certainly offend me.

FYI, my comment was directed @ lazy panda

dear anne, the fact that somehow you still call yourself a conservative doesn't change the fact that conservative policies in the US are brutal, heartless and amoral. your fellow conservatives start the wars, slash protections for the workplace and the environment. slash help for the poor and disabled, and legalize discrimination. that IS their platform, and always has been. are you really that stupid or are you just a troll trying to muddy the waters?

As a pro-lifer and conservative . . . rest assured, I do care about the embryos AFTER birth; I don't believe in war unless absolutely necessary (as in the U.S. being attacked), our church has 8 teams of 8 people . . . the Soup Kitchen in our town in closed on weekends. One church opens it on Saturday, and we open it on Sunday. We PURCHASE and COOK the food using our electricity and supplies (this is usually an all day Saturday job just at my house), we go to church and put it in the warmers; leave church and re-load the car to take to the Soup Kitchen; unload, sweep and clean, remove chairs stacked on tables, put the food we've prepared out for 120 people, clean up, wash dishes, talk with people who just need human contact . . . it's pretty much an all day Sunday event. Furthermore, I'm against the death penalty. NOW . . . do you have anymore broad statements/assumptions about ALL conservatives?

you folks always say that but 2 things about that study you think you're citing: 1) your stats are wrong. 2) the only reason the giving rate is higher is because you folks are giving money to your private religious schools, your churches and anti abortion groups. when you give to "charities" it turns out the beneficiaries are yourselves and your political allies. if you remove those from the equation and limit the giving to actual charities that help people no matter who they are your rates are actually lower. that was the real conclusion of that study. but just like the bible, you cherry pick it to suit your own selfish purposes. thou shalt not lie. thou shalt not hold false witness against thy neighbor. hope your get out of hell free card works.

Bob 2.0 I don't think anybody cares that you're carrying a sign, either. You're a nuisance more than anything. Actually, you should check out how many charities are actually out there if you think that the federal govt should be the end all to everything. Guidestar.org. You will be amazed.

They wouldn't need your tax-deductible "charity" if things were made better in the first place. Try again.

Because nobody CARES If I donate to a charity. Sure, everyone should and I will, but it doesn't make any points. Where'd u get ur data?

Okay. I'm sorry to hear about your cancer, but what does that have to do with the issue that we're talking about? And I do know.

Why not? Last I checked it takes a man and a woman to create a child.