News

How Much Does Your M.R.I. Cost? Buy It First to Find Out.

Opinion

Supported by

Continue reading the main story

How Much Does Your M.R.I. Cost? Buy It First to Find Out.

Aug. 2, 2022, 5:00 a.m. ET
  • Send any friend a story

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Anyone can read what you share.

    Give this article
  • 56

  • Read in app

Video by Martin Schoeller

Mr. Schoeller is a photographer and artist.

In the Opinion video above, Martin Schoeller, a photographer who is best known for his portraits of famous and powerful people, aims his lens at a different population: ordinary Americans who have been crushed by exorbitant hospital bills they didn’t see coming.

A federal rule that went into effect last year requires hospitals to post prices for their services, with the aim of removing the element of surprise for patients and perhaps even spurring price competition among health care providers.

But a recent study by PatientRightsAdvocate.org, a nonprofit group that worksfor price transparency, revealed that only about 14 percent of the 1,000 hospitals it surveyed were complying with the new rule.

In Mr. Schoeller’s short film, patients describe the painful financial consequences they faced after being blindsided by costly bills.

“We depend on hospitals in our communities to take care of us,” Mr. Schoeller said. “But our hospitals are putting profits before patients.”

The solution, he argues, is in stronger government enforcement of the transparency rule and stiffer penalties for those hospitals that don’t comply.

Martin Schoeller (@martinschoeller) is a photographer and artist.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: [email protected].

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Related Articles

Back to top button