The average price of computed tomography systems went up 15% in the past month as more hospitals purchased high-end scanners, including two new premium models that have been on the market for less than a year, according to the Modern Healthcare/ECRI Institute Technology Price Index.
The average price paid by healthcare providers for CT systems in September was $968,600, rising 15% in one month. The average price for CT equipment has gone up 20% for the year.
The TPI provides monthly and annual data about pricing of 30 supply and capital items that hospitals and other provider organizations purchase, based on three-month rolling averages. The index tracks medical devices and equipment ranging from pacemakers and cardiac mapping systems to stretchers and surgical lights.
Four broad categories of CT scanners exist. Prices range from $300,000 for a 16-channel scanner to $3 million for the most costly premium model. More providers are buying the 128-slice model or the premium models, said Kevin Lee, an analyst in ECRI's healthcare technology advisory service.
Two new premium models came to market this year—GE Heathcare's Revolution and Siemens Healthcare's Force both received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration in April. Philips Healthcare and Toshiba, the other top sellers of CT equipment, also market premium models.
Siemens Healthcare, which has U.S. headquarters in Malvern, Pa., has sold 20 units in the U.S. this year of the Force scanner, said Murat Gungor, the company's vice president of computed tomography and radiation oncology. The scanner is mainly being used in three settings—emergency departments, for cardiovascular imaging and in cancer care.
“There's going to be a spark of interest,” said Jason Launders, ECRI's senior project officer for health devices. “Both scanners are completely new, not just upgrades.”
The premium models are expected to be quicker, more reliable and help improve workflow. The average price of a premium model is $1.7 million. Large teaching hospitals are usually the first hospitals to adopt pricey new CT scanners.
There also has been an uptick in interest in the 128-slice model, which has an average price of $900,000. While those models are not considered significantly more advanced than the 20 to 64 channel scanners, they are better at cardiac applications and usually have stronger three-dimensional images, Launders said. Purchases of these models have been growing for several years but this year is the first time that ECRI has noted that providers are more likely to buy a 128-slice model than a premium model.
Follow Jaimy Lee on Twitter: @MHjlee
