Health Care Costs

Why, oh why, does health care cost so much in the USA? Is it because the hospitals are trying to look like luxury hotels inside? And have mandatory valet parking? Or that they have to do so many unnecessary procedures to protect themselves from lawsuits? Or all of the above?

In Ecuador, getting my RhoGAM shot at the 28 week mark in my pregnancy was fairly simple: I took a prescription to the pharmacy, they gave me a syringe of RhoGAM with instructions to keep it cool, I took the RhoGAM shot to a nurse, and the nurse gave me the injection. An expensive shot, sure, but guaranteed less costly than my little trip to the hospital in Colorado Springs today to get a RhoGAM shot. (Yes, I am at 28 weeks now. Hurrah!)

Today, I went to a US hospital for myself for the first time in fifteen years. First, they had to enter lots of information about me and my husband in their computer system and inform me of my privacy and record portability rights under HIPPA. Then, they took my blood to check for Rh+ antibodies. Then they sent me over to the "Women's Pavilion" to actually receive the RhoGAM shot. Before giving me the shot (which lasted about 3 seconds), they checked my blood pressure and did a mini-prenatal exam, even including a Doppler ultrasound check of the baby's heartbeat. What do you want to bet all that just cost me and my insurance company?