My (motorcycle) mechanic quotes me based on the parts and the amount of time required to do the repair. So she'll say "A new set of tires is $130, and the shop labor is $110 an hour. If you only bring in the wheels, then labor is just $50." I'm not sure what magical force is causing my mechanic to behave this way. It could be personal preference, some kind of regulatory requirement, pressure from competing shops, etc. Whatever that force is, it doesn't seem to exist in the american sickness and treatment system.

Never once in 20 years of automobile ownership has a mechanic tried a stunt like that on me.

Precisely. Yet it is completely normal in American medicine. And worse, the actual patients are rarely aware of the total amount billed or paid because their insurance company handles it.

If they didn't itemize, you would complain that all you see is a bill for $1000, at $500/hour.

You would be asking what goes into that hourly rate.

Try to open auto shop (it is painful but doable) and hospital. I bet issue lies in that difference.

Somewhat ironically, mechanics seem to be generally considered one of the least trustworthy forms of business. I wonder why the medical profession hasn't seemed to earn a similar reputation. Maybe they will but they just haven't gotten there yet.

I'm starting to feel the same way about medical professions. Example: I go to my dentist...and as I'm sitting in the chair, hygienist tells me she's going to put on fluoride and xrays as part of routine. Alright, no problem, I have preventative coverage.

Turns out it cost $30 for flurodie and $60 for xrays. Fluoride is only covered in kids, and xrays every 2 years. I call up dentist office and you know what they tell me? They don't provide treatment based on insurance coverage.

Right...they provide treatment based on how much money they can rip you off on. Fluoride for adults is new. We have fluoride in the water and in the toothpaste.. I don't recall having it in the past and my Google search tells me where's a debate on whether it's even beneficial. I only see that it benefits the dentist's pockets.

Similar experience for me as well. Went in to get a chipped tooth looked at before it got worse. Less than 5 min exam by the doc, and an assistant. Hygienist had to look at something... Bill for $400. How the hell is this crap legal??

Don't forget the nurse mechanics needed to transport the vehicle to the right location and the anesthesiologist mechanic to monitor the vehicle's electrical system, and the surgeon mechanic to do the procedure. And they'll also charge you fees for the tools they use.

Are you suggesting that you'd have surgery without a nurse, surgeon, or anesthesiologist? And that you shouldn't expect to have to pay for equipment used in your surgery?1

The point of the original post that the parent responded to was the fact that they got an estimate of cost for treatment that just included the cost of the strep throat test and none of the other associated costs.

The parent post expanded on that point by trying to list all the other charges for a common car service in the style that would be similar to what one would see if they were admitted to the hospital for an procedure. He then reiterated the point that the cost estimate only included the cost of parts (the 4 spark plugs).

I just expanded on that by listing the other labor related charges for the procedure that still wouldn't be included in the estimate.

In terms of car repair, you just have to know about the hourly rate of the shop and the number of hours they state a particular repair will take. In a hospital setting, you have no idea how many people will interact with you and what their charges will be (which appear to be unrelated to how much time they actually spent with your case).

I take it you have never been to a mechanic?

Because every single one I've been to also includes labor cost in the estimate.

Think parent is simply illustrating what the medical case might look like in a garage. I'd say point is made.

I'm here at work, on break after taking orders for automotive work, and quoting prices... The only thing not included in the quote is the tax.

"Don't worry about it, my insurance will cover it"