The price of masks, gloves and other supplies has risen by more than 1,000 percent in some cases due to market forces and price-gouging, according to a report published by the Society for Healthcare Organization Procurement Professionals.
The cost of N95 masks went up from 38 cents to $5.75 each, a 1,513% increase; the cost of exam gloves went from 2 cents to 6 cents, a 300 percent increase; and the cost of isolation gowns went from 25 cents to $5, a 2,000 percent increase.
The organization compiled the data by requesting cost information from more than 4,000 of its clients, according to CNN.
The CEO of Royal Oak, Mich.-based Beaumont Health told CNN that price-gouging for personal protective equipment has made managing the hospital's financial instability even harder.
Governors across the country have discussed creating a multistate consortium that would increase their purchasing power and cut competition between states for critical medical supplies needed during the pandemic, CNN reported.
Read the full report here.