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February 23rd, 2010
04:30 PM ET

Video: Hospital stapler costs $1,200

Program Note: Don't miss Dr. Sanjay Gupta's report on out-of-control health care costs. AC360° 10 p.m. ET.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta | BIO
AC360° Contributor
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent
Filed under: Broken Government • Dr. Sanjay Gupta
soundoff (3 Responses)
  1. James TerHark

    That's insane. $1,200 for a chest stapler, $1100 for a chest tube? Why? I see no reason that these are priced this high. This is just another case of the $800 toilet seat and the $1200 hammer.

    What I want CNN to do is go to where these are made and determine why these items, and many other items I'm sure, cost this much. I want to see a real reason: ie: it can only be made with titanium!, not just some company selling it for $1200. Press and find out what the actual manufacturing costs are, then what the hospital is charging for it. And from what I can see, these are one time use products, discarded after one use. Even more rediculously priced. It might be different if it were stainless steel, which could be sterilized and used again.

    February 23, 2010 at 11:38 am |
  2. C. Farrell, Houston, Tx

    Hospital charges are reviewed and paid for insurance processors according to coding which also have unit charges. Hospitals and doctors will rebill over and over again for the same charges if there is no check and balance system in place and there's not in most cases. Most of these outrageous charges can be denied, but they are not.

    February 23, 2010 at 11:19 am |
  3. Tim Gibson

    The reason behind the HIGH COST of these items would be?

    February 23, 2010 at 10:51 am |
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