The local news this morning had a link to a government website that compares basic procedures and costs.
https://data.cms.gov/Medicare/Inpatient-Prospective-Payment-System-IPPS-Provider/97k6-zzx3
It is a bit massive. Government uses it to control their medical costs. It appears to be a large spreadsheet that would be nice to re sort and range to target your local area.
Joe,
I saw that yesterday in our paper. It showed about 8 procedures and what the cost was compared to about 12 local hospitals!
Too scary!
Judy
I was able to save it as an Excel spread sheet so I can modify it and change my view of it.
Remarkable. And sometimes I swear you're charged 'cause a dr accidently made eye contact with you passing you in the hall....
My co-worker is about to appeal a bill he received when his wife recently had to go to the ER. They were billed $3000 for the ambulance to take them 3 blocks. They also charged her an additional day's stay because she was discharged at 12:15 am.
Moral of the story make sure that you get discharged before shift change.
Unfortunately the short trips in an ambulance are as costly as the longer ones. It all has to do with the fact that they till need the ambulance with all the newish medical devices, plus they need t have the trained staff to take care of the patients severe health issues that could develop at the drop of a hat. Charges like that havae been the norma in our town for many year.
When my hubby had his stroke the ambulance came out to our place to drive my hubby to the airport a couple miles away so that the helicopter could pick him up and take him to the hospital. I refused to let them do that cause I knew how long it would take to drive to the airport and felt that they could be half way to the hospital in that length of time. I got a lot of dirty looks from the medical peronnel, but a a nurse in my home area I knew the roads and time involved.
When I got to the hospital and met the ambulance driver at the hospital he said that the difference in the trip would have been only 5 minutes or so. The ambulance was about 2800$ and the helicopter would have been 17,000$ and many times the insurance or medicare won't pick it up. We just havae t do our homework and keep abreast of all the information available to usw.Irish