Why do MRI's cost so much?

Question

the NHS have already paid for the machine and the radioologists are already salaried. Surely its just a case of urgency- i.e the most urgent case to be seen first. Why do people say it costs £1000 for one scan- surely it doesn't use that much electricity!!! Ok the technology is advanced but thats already paid for- i dont get it. I think its medical bullcrap to be hoenst!

Answer 1

MRIs have to be maintained, and to some extent the more they are used the more maintenance they need. Also, they have to be supplied with liquid helium, which is about as expensive as whisky and has to be very carefully kept in heavily insulated vessels.

The huge magnetic fields involved in MRI also mean that they have to be kept in separate rooms, and all the tools used have to be non-magnetic.

Lastly, there are some disposable supplies used every time someone is scanned; this is mostly for hygienic reasons. It all adds up.

It is probably true that actually using an MRI doesn't actually increase any of these costs very much. However, the salaries of all the technicians, machine maintenance, liquid helium supplies, building maintenance and so on, and the eventual replacement with a new machine have to be paid for somehow - the cost of a scan is some fraction of the daily cost of operations. In other words, to some extent the cost is a matter of accountancy.

Look at it another way; NHS MRI machines are in pretty well continuous use. Double the number of scans, therefore, and you'll need two machines - and all the costs I've just mentioned double as well.

Answer 2

Because they have a limited lifespan and each time it's used is one step nearer revision and replacement

Answer 3

Where does the NHS get the money to pay for MRI's? The cost of MRI machines in the USA is well over $1 million. Sometimes there has to be extensive building remodeling and excavating. Air conditioning units are needed to cool the magnet.

I would be interested in a cost analysis of how many procedures can be performed on a machine during its useful life, and what the cost of the procedures average out to be.

Answer 4

Where did you get the figure, £1000 for one scan from?  As maybe that included the salary of the radiographer and the maintenance of the machine etc.  If you could post a link to where you got the info from that would be helpful.