Intangible costs of healthcare include which elements?

• A. Pain and suffering, morbidity, and mortality
• B. Costs of imaging
• C. Medication costs
• D. Travel expenses

Answer: (A)

Intangible costs are the non-financial effects of illness on a person’s life. This includes how pain and suffering affect well-being, how morbidity (limitations in functioning) reduces daily activities, and how mortality represents the ultimate loss of life and years of potential life. These aspects can’t be directly priced or billed, which is why they’re categorized differently from monetary outlays. The other options—costs of imaging, medications, and travel—are tangible costs: they involve actual money spent on services, drugs, or transportation, and they don’t capture the subjective impact on quality or length of life.