An Appendix Equals the Cost of a House (Or a Refrigerator)

Appendix removal surgery is a common procedure. As such, it doesn’t appear to be unreasonable to assume that the cost of the surgery would be similar from place to place.
Well, you know what is said about assumptions.
In California, a recent study (published by the Archives of Internal Medicine) uncovered huge cost disparities in the surgery. They ranged from a cost of $1,500 to $180,000. The average was $33,000. Experts suggest that this is not specific to California and reflects a damaged health care system.
The study examined 2009 data on 19,368 appendicitis patients. Patients were between 18 and …