The cost of healthcare is a mystery for two reasons. First, the average consumer does not understand the essential costs of providing care such as clinical cost, facility costs, and ancillary support costs. Second, the methods for pricing, billing, and collecting payments is extraordinarily complex. Understanding both the total cost of care and the reimbursement for that care is important for an HTM professional as these factors can drive each other. In other words, the more it costs to treat patients (including equipment service operations) the more we must charge for the care. And conversely, the less the insurance companies are willing to pay, the more expense we need to cut out of our costs. It’s a push and pull relationship.