[bickfordb]

Also, this article doesn't explain the price of MRIs at all. Is the price higher due to higher worker costs, more expensive machines being used, more expensive facilities or more pricing power on behalf of the providers?

[gmac]

I thought the implication from the comparison with other countries is that it's primarily pricing power: i.e. profit for the providers. But I agree that the article doesn't address the title very directly.

[scott_s]

This Planet Money podcast gets into it somewhat: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/02/26/172996963/episode-...

Part of the problem is that few people even know what the prices are.

[homosaur]

Not to mention prices are and always have been variable depending on whether you're an individual or insurance company.

[yasth]

Also weirdly enough according to the article's chart MRIs have a relatively reasonable spread.