What
are the mechanisms involved? What is the difference? Why are they so
expensive? I can't be the only one who is considering these things.
CT
Scans
“Computed
Tomography,” or “Computerized Tomography.” I don't think that
they've made up their minds yet. You may remember, like I do, that
these were once called CAT Scans, which would be “Computerized
Axial Tomography.” That cat thing is out of fashion now.
These
are just fancy X-ray machines. All modern X-ray machines are
computerized to some extent, but there's probably a difference. Maybe
I should look up tomography. The point is, the mechanism by which a
CT Scan creates an image is X-rays.
That's
why they do their work so quickly, making things a lot easier for the
patient. They do a much better job of illustrating bones and other
hard tissue. They're not much good for soft tissue inquiries. X-ray
machines in general are using a lot less X-ray than in the old days,
so it's probably not enough to worry about. About the same as a long
plane flight probably. That's just a guess.
Sources
all say that CT Scans are cheaper than MRIs, but then they all give
about the same range of prices for both things: between $1,200 and
$3- to $4,000. (See note below re: prices.)
MRIs
“Magnetic
Resonance Imaging.” These create an image by building up a powerful
magnetic field and then launching high-frequency radio pulses through
that field. This all takes a while, and the patient is required to
show great patience while laying in the close-fitting tube for a half
of an hour or so, without moving. Then there's the booming noise.
I've never had an MRI, and I'm not looking forward to the
eventuality.
MRIs
do a great job of imaging soft tissue, like muscles and internal
organs. They'll give the docs the location of the bones, but not as
much detail on the hard tissue as the CT Scan. Great care must be
taken to avoid placing anything made from metal into the tube with
the patient. That would be a metal fork in the microwave moment. This
includes Pacemakers and piercings, so there's that to consider.
Sources
give the price range for both procedures as being very close, with
the upper range for MRIs exceeding that for CT Scans by about one
third. Neither the magnetic field nor the radio pulses have the power
to hurt you, so anyone overly concerned about X-rays might consider
that.
MRIs
and Tattoos
Here's
where mourning becomes electra. Here's where it gets weird. It turns
out that any tattoo from more than twenty years ago is liable to have
metal particles in some of the ink. My guess is that the black ink
would be the worst offender. As one recedes in time, past twenty to
thirty years ago, and on to forty, the likelihood of encountering
metal increases. My own tattoo, for instance, is forty-six years old,
so it's probably full of metal.
These
tattoos can exhibit terrible reactions to the magnetic field, ranging
from a mild burning sensation, up through considerable pain, and on
to great pain with some flashing and scarring. I had never heard this
one before. Forewarned is forearmed, however, so if the situation
comes up I can mention it to the doctor. It's a very rare doctor who
will listen to you regarding medical matters, but they do exist.
Hipsters,
take note.
Prices
It
turns out that they are so expensive because both hospitals and
medical insurance companies are now run on a for-profit basis, even
the ones that still call themselves non-profits, and they work
together to gouge the patient, and each other, for as much as
possible in every situation.
The
price of an identical MRI in any particular medical marketplace will
vary wildly depending on such factors as the income of the patient,
the health insurance carried by the patient, the identity of the
payer, and many other factors that are unknown to me, being mysteries
of the modern medical-industrial complex. If the estimates are
accurate at all, you could be charged anywhere between $1,200 and
$4,000 for the identical procedure on the identical machine. I would
bet the afore mentioned tattoo that the upper range is subject to
wild spikes.
If
you are a careful shopper, there is an easy work-around for this
price gouging.
Doctors
are now firmly in the category of “disposable workers.” With
tuition being so high, many doctors graduate with frightening levels
of debt. Hospitals pay doctors as little as possible. Some doctors do
the math and realize that they could set up some kind of business of
their own and make twice as much money while doing less than half as
much work. One way to do this is to invest in an MRI machine and set
yourself up in a strip mall near a large population center. “Garden
State Imaging Center” or something. This is totally legal.
Many
of the doctors who do this are merely clever, but others come from
one of the many minorities in America. They get sick of patients up
at the hospital asking for “the white doctor” all the time.
If
your own doctor is worth his salt, he'll tell you about a good MRI
mill himself. You can find them on your own without much trouble,
because, like I say, it's legal. You then get a specific prescription
from your doctor requesting the MRI and giving all of the information
necessary to get a result that is useful. Just make an appointment,
and the fully board-certified doctor at the MRI center will do the
imaging. You get the results, probably on a CD, and take it back to
your doctor for a reading. These private MRI clinics charge under one
thousand dollars, so the savings can be considerable.
My
Dedication to Public Service
I
don't make a nickel on this blog, and if you take a quick look at the
history over on the right side you will have to agree that writing it
has been a whole lot of work. Mostly, I write all of this prose
because it helps to knock down the general level of negative ideation
that I must deal with on a daily basis. There is also, however, an
element of the pure, kind-hearted desire to be useful to my fellow
Americans.
My
sincerest desire is that someone among the couple of dozen people who
may read this post found it informative in a way that was helpful.
