The 10,000 percent Solution

Today's article in the Science Section of the New York Times brings to mind the Milton Friedman quadrant of efficient transactions where the cost benefit is rated.  Quadrant one, the most optimal, is where the purchase is done for the benefit of purchaser with the purchaser's own money.  The second less optimal  quadrant is where the purchase is for someone else using the purchaser's money, a gift for example. The third quadrant is way down the optimal scale where the purchase is for the purchaser's benefit, but using other people's money. This is where a Rolls Royce is bought because money is no object. As inefficient as the buy is, at least the purchaser is greatly satisfied. Not so in the cellar where the fourth quadrant resides and where the purchase is made for someone else's benefit with someone else's money. This quadrant doesn't necessarily satisfy the receiver nor make purchasing sense. This is where the thousand dollar saline solution is invoiced by the hospital system. 

Hospital keep costs a secret

Wall Street needs transparency to correctly price complex derivatives.  They fight and scream to keep the advantage on their side against the customers they are raping and pillaging.  It appears that hospital's are doing the same thing as per Sunday's Editorial in the New York Times "The Cure for the $1,000 Toothbrush."  This article has several noteworthy resources for investigation, otherwise it's "If it's Tuesday we must be in Belgium" medical tourism for me and my family.

August 20 Postscript.
Listening to NPR where Doctors in Alaska are doing circumcisions in house because of the $2100 mastercharge  of the local hospital just for the room!  Word is getting around.