Great job, capitalism! A DIY x-ray machine is cheaper than an ER visit

William Osman, a YouTuber running one of the countless “Science FTW!” channels out there these days, released a video last week detailing a recent hospital visit requiring x-rays that resulted in a dizzying $69,210.32 invoice. “I’m a slave to medical debt now. I have to sell all my things, I have to sell my friends’ belongings,” Osman grouses, before the ol’ comedic switcheroo courtesy of his long-suffering wife. She assures both him and the audience that, thanks to their “really good” health insurance policy, he is only expected to pony up about $2500. Combined with annual insurance premiums, the whole thing will cost him around $8500. Whew. What a relief…

Great(ish) news for the Osmans, but as our host explains, this is very much not the case for the approximately 27.5 million Americans out there with absolutely zero health insurance. “The reason hospitals charge so much is because they know insurance is going to low-ball them,” Osman summarizes of his coverage and subsequent bill. “The problem is hospitals treat uninsured people the exact same way. What you’re supposed to do is the same thing insurance does with hospitals: you fight them.”

Of course, this doesn’t happen nearly as much as it should due to your average individual’s general lack of resources, time, and energy required to successfully combat the United States’ medical-industrial complex. To demonstrate the economic and ethical lunacy, Osman set out on a self-admittedly reckless endeavor: build his own fully functioning x-ray machine for less than his actual medical bills.