By Tina Reed
Some of the hospitals with the highest revenue in the country also have some of the highest prices.
Why it matters: Hospitals each determine their own charges, or list prices. While few patients ever pay those prices due to negotiated insurance rates, they do affect the uninsured and, experts say, ultimately influence the overall price we all pay.
Of the top 100 largest hospitals in the U.S., 57 were charging more than five times the actual cost, on average, of the care they provided.
- The hospital with the highest average markup was HCA’s Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, with charges at nearly 13 times cost.
- Pennsylvania and Texas were among the states that stood out when it came to markups. Nine of the top 15 were located in one of these two states.
The other side: Hospitals said this sort of calculation can be misleading, in large part due to the fact that few ever pay the actual chargemaster price. Most also say they offer programs that help protect patients from financial hardship.
But, but, but: Consumer advocates say many hospitals don’t do enough to make sure the patients who need the help know about those resources.
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