I give my patients free generic medications as one of the benefits of being a member of my practice. I just ordered a few medications and what you see above is a screenshot of my shopping cart. You may notice that the prices aren’t listed. That’s a very common theme in healthcare. Nobody knows how much anything costs. Lack of transparency is the law of the land and the secret to maximizing returns. My drug vendor will probably look at my order history and price each item based on how frequently I order and what they’re charging other doctors in my area. This way, I won’t have the freedom to shop around for good deals.

Imagine if Amazon did the same thing when you ordered a book on their website.

Filed under: Health Policy