Hospital price data published
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
CMS posts payment information on its website for the 30 most common elective procedures and reasons for admissions, including implantation of defibrillators and hip and knee replacements. Posted June 1 to kick off the agency's transparency initiative, the data shows the service volumes and Medicare payment ranges for all hospitals by county to help consumers compare price and quality of care (1"The Gray Sheet" March 20, 2006, p. 13). The agency plans to add geographically based payment information for ambulatory surgery centers this summer, and outpatient and physician services in the fall...
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Hospital price data updated
CMS updates hospital-specific volume and payment data for 31 common inpatient procedures on its 1Web site June 21. Intended to increase transparency for consumers, data on the procedures was first posted last June (2"The Gray Sheet" June 5, 2006, In Brief). According to the update, in fiscal year 2006 the midrange of payments for implantable defibrillator implants with cardiac catheterization was $37,102-$48,790, and charges averaged $135,717. For major joint replacements, the payment range was $10,085-$12,257 with average charges of $38,447. CMS plans to update the data for common outpatient, ambulatory surgical center and physician services later this summer and fall...
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