Right Price to Pay for Healthcare

Healthcare in Maryland

The author of this report has been given three basic tasks and/or series of questions for this assignment. The first task is to search for a primary care physician in the city of Bethesda, Maryland. Upon completing a general search, the author of this report will describe how the choice of physician was made and whether (and to what extent) price would have on the decision as it is made. Finally, the author of this report will generally describe the factors in the decision that was made. Second, the author of this report will do a quick price compare for an MRI that would be done on a thirteen-year-old that is complaining of headaches. A table that shows the price differences will be shown. Finally, the author will summarize how long the process took and how comfortable the author would be in purchasing these services and determining the value of the same.

Analysis

When it comes to finding a physician in Bethesda, there is no shortage of websites online that offer the ability to review physicians. There are third party websites that list off the doctors in an area and there are also websites for the doctors and healthcare locations themselves. The third-party websites that exist include DocSpot, ZocDoc and Yelp. Price is actually not a huge factor for the author of this report because there is a simple co-pay to be paid for each visit. The major question that would be asked when it comes to cost is whether the doctor's location/office handles and files for that insurance or not. If they do, then other considerations would then take hold. If not, the author of this report would disqualify that office/doctor. Factors that would be considered beyond insurance coverage would include where the doctor went to school, how long they have been practicing and their record when it comes to their business practices and complaints about their care. Examples of the latter would include medical malpractice accusations and the like.

When it comes to the cost of an MRI, the author of this report found the following rates from a litany of different websites. The costs listed below are for uninsured payments that are bearing the entire cost themselves.

Everyday Health

Compare MRI Cost

Time Magazine

Healthcare Bluebook

$2,600-$5,315

$400-$3,500

$474-$13,259

$1,019