For the first time HHS is giving consumers information on what hospitals charge for Medicare services. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the new data reveals significant variation in what hospitals charge for common inpatient services across the country and within communities.
The CMS website compares charges for services associated with the 100 most common Medicare inpatient stays. These amounts can vary widely. For example, average inpatient charges for hospital services in connection with a joint replacement range from $5,300 at a hospital in Ada, Okla., to $223,000 at a hospital in Monterey Park, Calif.
Hospital charges for similar services can vary significantly, even within the same geographic area. For example, average inpatient hospital charges for services to treat heart failure range from $21,000 to $46,000 in Denver and from $9,000 to $51,000 in Jackson, Miss. For more information, visit
http://www.cms.gov
