Other Helpful Listings

20 Most Expensive Conditions Requiring Hospital Stay, 2006 (pdf)

Heart disease (patients often received PTCA or CABG procedures), childbirth, heart attack (AMI), congestive heart failure (CHF), sepsis, osteoarthritis, pneumonia, complication of a device, implant or graft, and respiratory failure were the top 10 of a list of 20 health conditions that cost the nation the most in hospital charges in 2006 - to the tune of 52% of the total national hospital bill. Bills to private insurance included back pain and complications of surgical procedures or medical care in their top 10; Medicare had Stroke and cardiac dysrhythmias in their top ten; Medicaid included schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders; and the uninsured included skin infections, major injuries and fractures, & diabetes hospitalization. 12-page Statistical Brief #59 by AHRQ uses 2006 HCUP data; released September 2008

Accredited Chest Pain Centers - Society of Chest Pain Centers

List of Accredited Chest Pain Centers - some with PCI (percutaneous cardiac intervention). Must meet emergency department requirements and standards for timely diagnosis and treatment. List has been reorganized by state for ease of use. Links provided to each hospital's site. Provided by the nonprofit Society of Chest Pain Centers

Accredited Healthcare Facilities - Joint Commission Accreditation (all states)  

The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO - Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) accredits hospitals and other healthcare organizations. Quality Check provides accreditation and comparison information for hospitals, home health/hospice, laboratories, some nursing homes & assisted living centers, and other health care services. Click on View Accreditation Quality Report to see actual scores for 2008-2009

AMA: 266 Clinical Performance Measures for Physicians, 2009 (pdf)  

The American Medical Association's Consortium for Performance Improvement has agreed on 266 measures in 42 clinical topics, that are supported by evidenced-based clinical guidelines. Topics include diabetes, asthma, COPD, heart care, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, stroke, pneumonia, emergency care, prenatal testing, cancer screening, smoking, prostate cancer care, ear and eye problems, depression, surgical infection prevention, GERD, end-stage renal disease, chronic kidney disease, substance abuse, wound care and more. Written for medical professionals, but consumers might learn something about appropriate physician care

Ambulatory Surgery Average Charges in U.S. Hospitals, 2003  

Find average prices (mean charge) for more than 100 outpatient ambulatory surgery procedures done in hospitals in 2003. Surgeries grouped by body system (e.g. eye, ear, cardiovascular/ heart, digestive, musculoskeletal/ bones, etc.) Average cataract & lens price was $3900; tonsillectomy was $3800; knee cartilage $6200; hernia repair $5800; outpatient gallbladder removal $8100; lumpectomy $4900; ear tube surgery (myringotomy) $2800; D&C $5000; arthroscopy $7000. Consumers will need to adjust the 2003 prices to get close to 2009 costs. From the HCUP Fact Book No. 9 from AHRQ, published January 2007

Arkansas Average Inpatient Charges - Top 30 hospital stays (pdf)

Average charges (prices) per patient for the Top 30 hospitalizations (DRGs) in AR, such as newborn and maternity delivery, psychoses, rehabilitation, heart failure, pneumonia, COPD, digestive disorders, hip or knee replacement, chest pain, cardiac cath, diabetes, asthsma, stroke, hysterectomy (DRG 743), septicemia, Kidney failure, UTI, cellulitis and more. Overall, prices were $12,126 per case ($2737 per day) in 2007. For reference, a normal delivery for mother & baby cost $7873 (add $6466 for C-Section without complications); a 12.5-day rehabilitation stay cost $21,628; hip or knee replacement averaged $33,090 ($9166 per day); drug-eluting stent DRG 247 was $18,158 per day for $37,043 per case on average. Huge file; slow download. Summer 2009 report (page 22) by the Arkansas Hospital Association shows 2007 prices. Consumers may expect higher prices in 2009

Arkansas Hospital Volumes, Prices, Quality Ratings - by name of hospital

Find average charges (a proxy for average costs) for 40 common hospitalizations at specific AR hospitals by Clicking on INPATIENT PRICING after you've selected your hospital. Price List varies by hospital, but may include maternity and childbirth, stroke, chest pain, stomach disorders, back pain, nutritional problems (diabetes), blood infection (septicemia), rehabilitation, heart attack, cardiac cath, drug coated stent, congestive heart failure, kidney failure, urinary infection, COPD, pneumonia, total hip or knee replacement surgery, hysterectomy, psychiatric care, ventilator support and more. Note: Definitions conflict for whether data such as Volumes are Medicare-only, or reflect all patients. To find quality scores on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia or surgical infections, and patient opinions, click on QUALITY at each hospital's page. Hospital Consumer Assist is provided by the Arkansas Hospital Association. Prices from 2007; Quality and Patient Satisfaction scores are more current, using 2009 ratings

Best Cardiovascular Hospital Lists - How Good are They?

Research published in Journal of the American College of Surgeons (Jan. 2010) studied US News and HealthGrades' best hospitals lists and compared mortality (survival rates) for patients having heart bypass, valve repair or abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair surgery. They found hospital volume may be as good a predictor of hospital quality as the best hospital lists for cardiac care

Blue Distinction Centers for Cardiac, Cancer Care, Bariatric Surgery & Organ Transplants  

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have designated national Blue Distinction Centers meeting their standards and extensive selection criteria for bariatric surgery, cardiac (heart) care, organ transplants (e.g. bone marrow/stem cell, heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas transplants) and hospitals for 13 Complex and Rare Cancers (e.g. pancreatic, liver, bladder, brain, esophageal, leukemia, rectal, thyroid cancer). Detailed criteria include outcome, volume and mortality/ survival requirements and measures. Lists organized by state; updated 2009

California - 2008 HMO and Medical Group Ratings Report Card  

Compare California HMO health insurance plans: Aetna Health, Anthem Blue Cross HMO, Blue Shield, CIGNA, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern regions), PacifiCare and Western Health Advantage. Clear, simple star system used for overall rating. In addition, get more details about member satisfaction, complaint rates, asthma, cancer screening, child/adolescent health, diabetes, heart care, maternity care, mental health, back pain, immunization, and smoking cessation. Medical group ratings also provided by county for the larger groups of doctors. Prepared by the California state Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA), using 2007 data

California - Average Costs for Inpatient Surgery, 2007

Compare median charges (price) among Calif. hospitals for 28 common elective inpatient surgeries such as assisted childbirth delivery, c-section, gastric bypass, gall bladder removal (open or laparoscopy), inpatient hernia repair, hysterectomy, mastectomy, hip or knee replacement, disc removal, prostatectomy TURP, heart valve, PTCA angioplasty, heart bypass CABG, endarterectomy, bladder tumor TURB, repair stress incontinence and kidney removal. Shows number of surgeries and average length of stay. All hospitals except Kaiser; website by CA state Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, (OSHPD.ca.gov). Easy to use, but would have been nice to have current prices instead of two years old. Published May 2009

California - Average Inpatient and Outpatient Hospital Prices, 2008(pdf)

Find average hospital prices for California's inpatient cases and top 25 types of outpatient procedures or surgery by CPT code) for each hospital. Outpatient reports may show prices for Emergency Dept. visit. Very difficult for the average consumer to use, since files are in Excel file format. But the good news is that the prices are current to June, 2008.

California Health Insurance & Clinic Ratings, 2008 CCHRI Report (pdf)

Compare HMO health insurance plan ratings: Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Cigna, Health Net, Kaiser Permanente North, Kaiser Permanente S. Cal. and PacifiCare. Clinical performance (HEDIS measures) for prenatal maternity care, child illnesses & immunizations, ADHD, asthma, diabetes, depression and mental illness, heart attack, high blood pressure, cholesterol management, cancer screening, flu shot, back pain, osteoporosis and more. Consumer member satisfaction ratings listed in CAHPS section include Western Health Advantage scores. Physician group ratings for medical groups in Northern Cal. & southern CA listed in Patient Assessment survey section, include Hill Physicians, Kaiser Permanente, Sutter, Cedars-Sinai, High Desert, Prospect, Scripps, Sharp, Southern Cal. Permanente and more. Prepared by CCHRI (California Cooperative Healthcare Reporting Initiative), a group of employers, health plans, and health care providers across CA; 2008 CCHRI Report on Quality is 104 pages

California Heart Bypass Surgery - Hospital and Surgeon Ratings

Compare hospital survival rates for cardiac bypass - coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) done in 2005-2006. Nearly all hospitals and cardiac surgeons performed as expected. Five (of 121) Calif. hospitals shown to be significantly better than state average, and 2 were worse performers. Report also shows volumes and rates 284 surgeons on risk-adjusted patient mortality, compared to expected deaths. One surgeon found to be better, 8 physicians had worse ratings. Overall survival rates improved in 2006. Released April 2009 by Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD)

California Hospital Quality: Survival Rates and Mortality Ratings 2007 (pdf)  

Find risk-adjusted mortality (death) rates for each CA hospital, and the number of inpatient cases in 2007. Calif. statewide mortality rate for hip fracture was 2.4%, PTCA (angioplasty) 1.3%, stroke 10.4%, GI hemorrhage (bleed) 2.1%, craniotomy 6.7%, esophageal resection 6.5%, pancreatic resection 4.5% and carotid endarterectomy was 0.4%. Report by Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (oshpd) shows whether hospitals were similar to state average, or significantly better or significantly worse survival rates; 28 pages, pub. Jan. 2009

California: www.CalHospitalCompare.org - Hospital Quality Ratings & Patient Satisfaction  

CA hospital quality ratings for heart attack, heart failure, heart bypass surgery (including mortality/ survival rate), pneumonia, ICU mortality rate, preventing surgical infections & complications, maternity care (e.g. breast-feeding and c-sections), and patient opinion ratings. Most data from 2008 to 2009, but some date to 2003. Compare 5 hospitals at once to find Superior Hospitals. Consumers may be surprised at the number of times they see a Poor performance rating. When viewing hospital report, click on View All, or you'll miss half the information. Web site by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) in partnership with UCSF and CHART

Canada - Ontario - 2007 Hospital Reports (Balanced Scorecard)

Ontario's Balanced Scorecard approach to reporting hospital performance ratings on a province-wide basis. Compare hospitals in teaching, small hospital, and community hospital groupings. About 40 measures are presented in four quadrants: Clinical Utilization and Outcomes, Patient Satisfaction, Financial Performance, and System Integration and Change. This innovative approach in public reporting may be similar to what some US hospitals use in their internal strategic planning. Developed by the Government of Ontario in partnership with the Ontario Hospital Association, Fiscal year 2005-06 data

Colorado 2008 Hospital Charges & Length of Stay (pdf)

Find 2008 average charges (prices), a likely range of costs, number of patients and average length of stay by CO hospital name, for 35 common inpatient medical conditions and surgical procedures. Shown by region, e.g. Denver area. At the end of each category (APR-DRG), statewide total averages are shown. You may read the pages free on online, but to be able to print any page, you may have to purchase the $250 report (322 pages). Published by the Colorado Hospital Association Aug. 2009

Colorado Health Insurance Plan Clinical Performance

Is your health insurance plan getting better over time? This report shows rates by CO health plans over multiple years (2003 to 2007) for Heart, Diabetes, some Cancer screening, recommended Preventive care for women and children's health, Mental Health indicators including depression. Report also compares rates between men and women for cardiac catheterization, angioplasty and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Plans: Aetna, CIGNA, Denver Health, HMO-Colorado, Kaiser Permanente, PacifiCare, Rocky Mountain, and United Healthcare. Updated for 2008

Colorado Hospital & Ambulatory Surgery Infection Rates 2010 (pdf)

CO Dept. of Public Health (CDPHE) reports patient infections acquired in hospitals (from Aug. 2007 to July 2009) and ambulatory surgery centers (7 mo. 2009). Nearly all medical facilities performed well this year compared to national average, on surgical site infections for heart bypass, hip replacement, knee replacement surgery, inpatient & outpatient hernia repair, catheter associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) in adult or neonatal ICU, critical care units & long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). A few (such as Exempla St Joseph Denver) were often superior, and a few were statistically worse. Hospital list starts on page 25 (of 109) in 2010 Annual Report, pub. Jan. 2010

Colorado Hospital Quality Ratings, Report Card

Colorado Hospital Association website shows hospital-specific data on mortality (survival rates) and volume. Mortality Measures show survival rate information for heart care (heart failure, PTCA angioplasty, heart attack AMI, or cardiac bypass CABG), pneumonia, stroke, neck artery surgery (CEA) hip replacement, hip fracture, bleeding stomach (GI), or craniotomy. Compare CO hospitals on Patient Safety bedsores (pressure sores/ decubitus ulcer), post-surgical blood clots (DVT, PE), and sepsis (bloodstream infections). Volumes for four procedures (cardiac bypass, PTCA, carotid endarterectomy, and AAA [abdominal aortic aneurysm]) where quality has been associated with higher volumes also shown, although the desired volume levels are not given. Risk-adjusted 2007 data, all patients

Connecticut - Hospital Quality Ratings

Use the left navigation bar to find CT hospital performance trends on individual measures related to heart attack (8 measures), heart failure (4), pneumonia (6) and surgical infection prevention (2). Website maintained by Connecticut Hospital Association. Note, the national Hospital Compare website may have more complete and current information about CT hospitals

Deciphering Medspeak (MLA)

The Medical Library Association describes Medspeak as the special language of health professionals. This site explains and defines common healthcare terms, and has special online consumer brochures related to terminology used in breast cancer, diabetes, eye disease, heart disease, HIV AIDS, and stroke

Florida - Average Charges for Inpatient Hospital Stays (Top 10 DRGs) (pdf)

Average charges (price) & Length of Stay for top 10 types of hospital stays, such as childbirth (vaginal delivery without complicating diagnoses was over $9400 plus normal newborn charges of about $2600) and Cesarean section; psychoses; chest pain, cardiac cath ($34k); joint replacement (e.g. hip and knee) surgery [average over $53,000], gastroenteritis & digestive disorders; cellulitis. While the top 10 averaged over $15,000 per case, the average charge when all of Florida's 2.6 million cases were examined was $34,000. Report by the FL Hospital Association; find 2008 data on page 3. Updated May 2009

Florida Health Insurance Plans - Quality Ratings & Satisfaction  

Member Satisfaction and quality ratings for cancer screening, diabetes, heart care, maternity / prenatal, high blood pressure, heart care, asthma, immunization for HMOs, PPOs, Medicare HMOs and more. Aetna, America's Health Choice, Amerigroup, Av-Med, Blue Cross Blue Shield (Health Options), Capital, CarePlus, Cigna, Citrus, DoctorCare, Florida Health Care, Freedom Health, Great-West, Health First, Healthy Palm Beaches, HealthEase & Well Care, Humana, Leon Medical Centers, Medica, Neighborhood, Optimum, PartnerCare, Preferred, Public Health Trust of Dade Co. (JMH), Quality Health, Total Health Choice, United Healthcare, Universal, Vista. Uses 2005 to 2007 data. Search by county. No need to download a pdf to see the scores or the checkmark rankings

Florida Inpatient Hospital Ratings, Average Charges, Survival Rates, Readmissions  

Search feature, mortality (survival rates), complication rates, volume, and average charges (price range), 2007-2008 data. (We couldn't find the readmission rates.) All age groups (not just Medicare), extensive set of health conditions/diseases, and the ability to rank order by top hospitals at the head of the list. Click on the hospital name to see actual risk-adjusted mortality rates for heart attack, stroke, heart failure (CHF), GI hemorrhage, hip fracture, hip replacement, pneumonia, AAA repair, heart bypass, craniotomy, surgery to remove the pancreas, or esophageal resection. Compare hospitals on infections, iatrogenic pneumothorax, and post-op sepsis. Hysterectomy listed under Women's Health instead of Surgery. FloridaHealthFinder.gov

Florida Outpatient Surgery Prices & Visit Volume (2007 data)

Compare hospitals and ambulatory surgery volumes and range of charges (average cost is not shown) for common adult and pediatirc outpatient surgery procedures, by hospital or surgical center name. Includes arthroscopy, cataracts, laser eye procedures, cardiac catheterization, pacemaker, upper GI & lower GI endoscopy, colonoscopy, hernia repair, hysteroscopy, tonsil removal, lithotripsy, skin biopsy, bunion removal, pediatric circumcision and more. You might be surprised to find outpatient hernia repair prices ranged from $5880 to over $13,000 (ages 18 to 64, Level 1); Level 2 went to $16,507. FloridaHealthFinder.gov 2007 data

Georgia Hospital Price Check - Compare costs by name of hospital

Georgia Hospital Association shows GA hospital comparisons on Price (the closest available to average cost). Common hospital stays and surgery prices are listed similar to other pricepoint systems. An overall Quality Index is also provided for each hospital to help consumers make a value choice. Average charges from 2007

Georgia Hospitals - Compare Hospital Quality Ratings

Georgia Hospital Association's GA Hospital Quality Check, Insights, compares hospitals on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia measures (similar to HospitalCompare), and also adds Neonatal Mortality and measures related to pregnancy. Graphs may not always load properly for AOL users and Internet Explorer users. Data from 2008

Guide to Clinical Preventive Services 2009  

Recommendations from the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for over 90 Screening tests, Preventive Medication, Immunizations, and Counseling activities. Sample Topics: Screening Mammography at age 50 instead of age 40 (updated), Cancer (e.g. which is more cost effective - colonoscopy or fecal occult blood testing for colorectal cancer?), recommended screening for bladder cancer or skin cancer, Heart Disease (including aspirin for prevention), smoking cessation, screening for depression in children, diabetes screening, folic acid supplements, glaucoma screening, COPD and spirometry

Health Topic Summaries: Cancer, Bypass, Hip, Knee, Pediatrics, COPD, more

A series of short summaries on common disease topics and health issues, made available by MHA, an association of Montana Health Care Providers from the COMPdata Monthly Monitors. Topics as of Nov 2007 included Cancer (general, prostate, breast, lung), heart bypass, and PCI, Pediatric care, Alzheimer's, Behavioral (mental) health, End of Life Care, Kidney Disease, Obesity, Hip and Knee Replacement Surgery, COPD, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Influenza, Traumatic Brain Injury, Asthma, Stroke and Diabetes. Summaries provide health information, and statistics about health care system utilization for that disease. Most use 2004 data, some have 2005 data. Consumers need not be from Montana to learn a lot about these health topics

HealthInsight: National Rankings for Hospitals (all states)  

Overall hospital rankings based on a summary of AMI (heart attack), heart failure, pneumonia disease and surgical infection prevention rankings, plus patient opinions. Health Insight, the QIO for Utah and Nevada, developed a helpful composite ranking for nearly every hospital in the nation, using 25 national CMS measures and satisfaction ratings from inpatients. Results shown by state. Easier to use than the federal HospitalCompare website, but less detail, and Mortality ratings do not appear to be included. Updated with 2008 data, September 2009

Hospital Compare - hospitalcompare.hhs.gov (all states) - Heart care, pneumonia, surgical infections  

Federal government compares hospital care ratings on measures for heart attack (AMI), heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention. Data include heart failure and heart attack mortality, also percent of heart attack patients given PCI (such as stent or balloon angioplasty) within 90 minutes of arrival. Shows patient satisfaction HCAHPS ratings. Readmission rates for Medicare (these illnesses only) were added in 2009. Editor's Pick because the government standardized its ratings for all hospitals, and most ratings are based on more than just Medicare patients. Hospital participation is voluntary. Small volume hospitals will not show data for some measures. Current with 2008 data. Puerto Rico included. Hospitals may refer to these measures as the CMS measures. Updated 2009

Hospital Compare Mortality Tool - Pneumonia and Heart Care (Medicare.gov)  

For consumers who want a quick check on the hospitals in their area to find survival rate information (Medicare only), this Mortality Tool from the federal government is very fast and easy to use. Shows 30-day mortality rates (death rates) for pneumonia, heart attack and heart failure patients. Find and Compare Hospital Mortality Graphs by zip code and a distance up to 500 miles. 2005-2008 data, released July 2009

Hospital Comparison Tool - Hospital Ratings & Cost Rankings (all states)  

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of New Mexico makes this Hospital Comparison Tool from HealthShare (WebMD) available to compare hospital care ANYWHERE in the country, mostly using Medicare data. No registration required. Gives results according to the importance you give to survival, complication rates, costs, volume and length of stay. Provides rankings, and crosses state lines when doing the search. Considerable detail on different types of complications if you keep delving deeper. Disease categories include Cancer, GI (e.g., appendectomy, colon or bowel surgery, gall bladder, hernia repair, gastric bypass), gynecology (e.g. hysterectomy), stroke (under head & neck), heart (e.g. attack, failure, angioplasty, cardiac bypass, catheterization, defibrillator, pacemaker, valve), lungs (e.g. pneumonia, COPD), medical, mother & baby (maternity, delivery for selected states only), orthopedic (e.g. hip or knee replacement), pediatric, prostatectomy, plastic/cosmetic surgery and heart, kidney, lung or liver transplants. Caution: it always assumes higher volume is preferred, which may not be valid. Patient satisfaction scores from the federal HospitalCompare tool shown, without disclosing dates.

Hospital Quality in US (Selected Conditions) 2009 Report

Accreditation agency Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) Annual Report identifies the percentage of hospital patients that received recommended care on more than 30 measures of quality for heart attack, heart failure care, pneumonia, surgical care (infection prevention only) and children's asthma. In aggregate, 2008 hospital performance went up in nearly all conditions, compared to 2007 and earlier data. Lowest surgical infection performance ratings continue for colon surgery and vascular surgery; discharge instructions for heart failure get mediocre scores (83%). Published Jan. 2010. See HospitalCompare if you want hospital names and performance results

Hospital Ratings at HealthGrades (all states) 2010  

Hospital Ratings (5-star, 3-star, 1-star) for about 30 diseases & inpatient procedures: Stroke, back surgery, COPD, diabetes, gall bladder surgery (cholecystectomy), bowel obstruction, GI Bleed, hip fracture repair, total hip replacement, knee replacement, prostatectomy, respiratory failure, pneumonia, cardiac bypass, heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty/ stent, valve replacement, sepsis, pancreatitis, peripheral vascular bypass & more. Free information on survival rates or complication rates if you click on the GOLD CROSS at the left. Medicare-only data for most conditions, although some states provide maternity, appendectomy, and bariatric surgery (gastric bypass) data. More extensive list than the federal government's site. Free hospital ratings are easy to use and cover all states. BEWARE, the site will try to sell you other services ($17.95+) that you may not need if use the free listings at consumerhealthratings.com. Publicly-traded company. Most 2010 ratings use data from 2006 to 2008; some data may be older. To see all hospitals in a state, do NOT select city. AOL users should use another browser. Updated October 2009

Illinois - Average Inpatient Charges for heart bypass, asthma & diabetes

IL Department of Public Health reports the average charges for 3 selected inpatient conditions: Coronary Artery Bypass, Asthma and Diabetes, from 1987 to 2004. Trends in volume of discharges and average length of stay also reported. Consumers will be disappointed to find prices have not been updated at the govt IDPH site in 5 years

Illinois Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center Ratings and Prices (IDPH)

Compare IL hospitals on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, knee arthroscopy, cardiac surgery, safety measures, infection rates, some survival information, patient satisfaction, more. See volume and 2008 median charges (closest you'll get to average cost) for selected types of inpatients (e.g. birth, c-section, appendectomy, COPD), and outpatients at ambulatory surgery centers (such as bunionectomy, hernia repair, colonoscopy, lens, lumpectomy, tonsillectomy). May get a full report for one hospital at a time (does not print correctly), or one measure at a time for multiple hospitals side-by-side, with state averages. Uses the dreaded pull-down menu, old 2008 prices and scores (Hospital Compare will have more recent information for some items); Infection rates use 2009 data. Hospital Report Card by IL Dept. of Public Health (IDPH) for all IL cities incl. Chicago area, Peoria, Rockford, Springfield, Champaign. New Nov. 2009

Iowa Hospital PricePoint System - Inpatient Charges

Iowa Hospital PricePoint provides information about volumes and average 2008 charges (amount billed) at IA hospitals. Select one hospital to begin. Site allows 4 hospitals to be compared at one time (although we couldn't make this work) for charges, length of stay, number of cases and more. Provided by the Iowa Hospital Association, this is a starting point for comparing average cost of care between Iowa hospitals. Compare typical prices for surgery such as gall bladder removal, bowel surgery, knee joint replacement; childbirth and newborns, pneumonia, stroke, heart care, transplants, COPD, psych, rehab, and most medical conditions. Severity of illness can be specified. Consumers will need to inflate old prices to estimate current charges

Iowa Hospital Quality, Safety and Satisfaction Ratings 2008 (pdf)  

Compare Iowa hospitals on survival rates (mortality info) for heart bypass, PTCA angioplasty, carotid endarterectomy angioplasty (CEA), pneumonia, hip replacement surgery and more. Use the safety ratings on bedsores, surgical postop complications, infections, birth trauma, deaths in patients who were unlikely to die during hospitalization, and others to screen for potential hospital issues. Compare heart attack and heart failure care, pneumonia care and surgical infection prevention rates; compare patient satisfaction (p. 137 of 164 pages). IA rates are compared with risk-adjusted national averages and in some cases, with the top 10% in the US. 2008 Iowa Report by the Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (based in Des Moines, IA) uses 2007 data; side-by-side quality comparisons start on page 19

Joint Commission Disease-Specific Care - Certified Hospitals

List of Primary Stroke Centers, Stroke Rehab, and other disease-specific care certified organizations in the US. Most are hospitals. Other certified programs include orthopedic joint replacement (hip, knee), COPD (most listed under A for Advanced COPD), sickle cell services, burn center, bariatric surgery, high-risk OB; bone marrow, heart, liver transplants; cancer (including breast, lung, pancreatic, prostate); diabetes; AAA, Alzheimer's, sleep program, wound care, spine treatment program, migraines, Parkinsons disease, ESRD, palliative care, epilepsy, congestive heart failure, heart failure, AMI, pneumonia and more. June 2009 list is nearly 80 pages, and very hard to use because health condition certifications are listed under multiple titles

Leapfrog - Minimum Volume Recommendations (Evidence-based Hospital Referral pdf)  

The Leapfrog Group has Evidence-Based Hospital Referral Safety Standards that include recommended volumes for certain procedures. They include minimum annual hospital volumes as follows: 450 heart bypass procedures per year (CABG), 400 Percutaneous coronary intervention procedures (PCI angioplasty), 120 aortic valve replacement, 50 abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (AAA), 11 pancreatic resections, 13 esophagectomy per hospital, and an average daily census of at least 15 babies in neonatal intensive care (NICU). Bariatric (weight loss) surgery has a recommended hospital volume above 125 and more than 50 cases per surgeon annually. Read about the specifics in this two-page fact sheet, then go to the Hospital Quality Ratings category, and check the Leapfrog data for information on your local hospitals. Updated 2008

Level 1 Heart Attack Outcomes: Minneapolis Heart Institute at Abbott Northwestern (self-reported)

See this report on mortality (30-day survival rates); median time from ER (ED) arrival to balloon inflation (angioplasty), and more outcomes for heart attack patients at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Mpls, MN. Data through Aug. 31, 2007 have not been updated as of May 2009

Louisiana Hospital Ratings and Prices - LA Hospital Inform

Search by Parish. Must click on View Reports on the left side of page to see hospital-specific selected inpatient charges (e.g. child birth, C-section, hip or knee surgery, gall bladder removal, appendectomy, heart problems, stent, cardiac cath, stomach problems, stroke, kidney failure, COPD, pneumonia, more); outpatient Medicare prices include ER visits, heart tests such as cardiac cath, EKG, stress test, echo; CT scan, MRI, x-ray and ultrasound, GI endoscopy, mammography, more; Quality and patient satisfaction scores (2007-2008) similar to what is submitted to HospitalCompare. Louisiana Hospital Inform is sponsored by the Louisiana Hospital Association; 2006 and 2007 price data

Maine Doctor and Hospital Ratings, 2009  

Site by the Maine Health Management Coalition, a non-profit coalition of 60+ employers that includes health insurance companies, doctors, hospitals and employers such as Bath Iron Works, City of Portland, State employees, Bowdoin College. Compare doctor & clinic ratings (family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics) relative to using office systems, following clinical care guidelines, and measuring results of care for diabetes, heart disease and childhood asthma and immunizations. Sort by Ribbons puts the best performers at the top of the list. Hospital ratings include medication safety, the often-seen ratings for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia care and surgical infection prevention; patient satisfaction (HCAHPS) and easy to read Leapfrog results for major high-risk surgery. Physician data from 2007-2008. Editor's Pick for the Doctor Ratings. Updated 2009

Maryland HMO & Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2008-2009

Compare Aetna (Maryland, DC & Virginia), CareFirst BlueChoice, BluePreferred PPO, CIGNA, Connecticut General, Coventry, Kaiser Permanente, MD-IPA, MAMSI Life, and OCI Optimum Choice on member satisfaction (CAHPS) and HEDIS measures such as immunizations, children's health, cancer screening, heart and diabetes care, mental health behavioral care, spirometry for COPD, and more. Comprehensive report by Maryland Health Care Commission includes scores for prenatal care and high blood pressure control; enrollment market share. 2008/2009 Performance Report, released September 2008

Maryland Hospital Pricing Guide, May 2009 (pdf)

Average charges (prices) and volumes statewide and by MD hospital name for 15 most common inpatient diagnoses (severity adjusted using APR-DRGs) - including newborns (avg. $1621), childbirth vaginal delivery ($5263), c-section (avg. $7393), heart failure, chest pain, angina, cardiac arrhythmia, percutaneous cardiovascular procedures (PTCA), pneumonia, COPD ($7434), septicemia, cellulitis, knee joint replacement (up 10% to avg. $21,565), bipolar admissions ($7761 state avg.) and urinary tract infections. Data from 2007 - 2008. Not included: costs for cancer, stroke, hysterectomy, rehabilitation, digestive problems. By MD Health Care Commission MHCC May 2009

Maryland Hospital Quality Ratings (MHCC)

Readmission Rates, volume, and average length of stay data on the most common groups of illnesses or conditions for which people are hospitalized in Maryland. Topics include heart conditions, lung conditions (including pneumonia, COPD, bronchitis, asthma), hip and knee surgery, GI and digestive problems, septicemia, stroke and TIA, kidney failure, bowel procedures, diabetes, maternity and newborn care, seizures & headaches, and more. MD Hospital Performance Evaluation Guide shows 2006 or 2008 data, pub. by MD Health Care Commission

Mass. - Heart Bypass Surgery (CABG) Hospital Ratings, 2009

Cardiac Surgery report on Adult Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG or heart bypass) compares MA hospital surgery volume and risk-adjusted mortality rates in FY 2007 (Oct. 1 2006-Sept. 30, 2007). Number of cases continue to decline; crude mortality rate was 1.47%, similar to prior year. See Key Findings on page 6/7; and Section 7 beginning on page 27/28. All hospitals were within expected ranges, as were the 60 surgeons. Mass-DAC report, 60 pg, January 2009

Mass. - Hospital Ratings for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI), 2009

Compare Massachusetts hospitals on survival for patients with PCI, and find out why you might want Cape Cod instead of Mass General or St. Vincent. Figures are meant to be read by physicians, professionals and statisticians, rather than consumers. Still, MA consumers can learn something about expected survival rates (crude mortality for PCI (no shock, no STEMI admissions) was 0.50%; mortality for shock or STEMI adm. was 5.49%. PCI is a non-surgical alternative to CABG (bypass), and often involves a balloon catheter or stent. Mass-DAC report on PCI prepared January 2009 uses 2006-2007 data; 51 pages

Mass. - Surgeon-Specific Mortality Rates for Cardiac Bypass (CABG) Surgery

Massachusetts (Mass-DAC) reports information related to patient survival rates following heart bypass surgery for 60 cardiac surgeons in MA, using 3 years of data (2004-2007). Unadjusted state mortality rate was 1.28%; all physicians were within the expected range. January 2009 report. Surgeon names in Table 9.3 (page 38)

Massachusetts Hospital Quality, Cost, Surgeon Volume Information (mass.gov)

Massachusetts Health and Human Services department reports quality ratings, cost comparisons, volume and in some cases inpatient survival rates (mortality indicators). Nearly 50 conditions and procedures covered, including inpatient gall bladder removal surgery, hip fracture, hip and knee replacement, stroke, GI hemorrhage, heart attack, heart failure, CABG, PCI, Pneumonia, Obstetrics and Maternity care, including cesarean section and VBAC, prostatectomy, gastric bypass and other digestive procedures, AAA repair and carotid endarterectomy. In some cases, individual surgeons are named (e.g. physicians who did at least 40 radical prostatectomy operations in a year, or how many knee replacements by orthopedic surgeons) Uses FY2005 volumes and FY2004 cost data. Site is relatively user-friendly, but is becoming outdated. Information varies by procedure. Read closely to see if it's Medicare-only or all types of patients

Massachusetts Surgeon Volumes by Procedure (mass.gov)

Massachusetts Health and Human Services office shows how many times a physician has done a specific surgical procedure for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair, open or laparoscopic gastric bypass, lap banding, carotid endarterectomy, isolated CABG, PCI angioplasty, total hip or knee replacement or revision (e.g. number of operations done by each MA orthopedic surgeon), esophagectomy, pancreatectomy, prostatectomy (e.g. doctors who did at least 40 radical prostatectomy operations in a year.) Volume numbers are rather old, FY 2005 (as of mid-2009). Shows hospital affiliation

Medicare (Inpatient) Prices for 31 Common Hospitalizations - June 2007

Find out the average charge (price) and the average Medicare payment (the closest consumers will get to cost) and volume information by county or state for 31 inpatient DRGs such as heart valve, major large or small bowel or stomach operations, inpatient hernia operations, gall bladder removal (open or laparoscopy), hip or knee replacement, bone biopsy, inpatient shoulder joint surgery, kidney and bladder operations for cancer, other kidney or bladder operations, prostatectomy, hysterectomy, back spinal fusion, cervical spinal fusion, insert heart defibrillator. Fiscal year 2006 data. The large gaps between charges and payments may shock you, and lead to a number of questions about cost-shifting, true costs, and realistic charges. Must be able to use Excel spreadsheets. This is part of the government's work to become consumer-friendly for healthcare. It covers all 50 states, but not all counties, and may be the only place you can find this information. Average consumers may have difficulty with navigating the very large, cumbersome files. We had hoped by now, the reporting would show improvements in consumer-friendliness. No such luck; prices for 2008 and 2009 not available as of May 2009.

Medicare - Other Hospital Inpatient Charges - 12 DRGs (June 2007)

In the second file at this site, called Other Inpatient Hospital DRGs of High Utilization, you can find number of cases by county and state, and average charges for Chronic lung disease (COPD), pneumonia, heart bypass with cardiac cath, AAA repair (DRG 110), pacemaker implant, heart attack, heart failure, chest pain, large or small bowel procedures, diabetes, angioplasty with stent, heart valve procedures, and others. Average Medicare payment might give consumers an idea of average cost and cost-shifting. Pacemaker Implant example shows national average charge of $40,752, with average Medicare payment of $12,689 (a 69% discount!) Must know Excel, and be able to find your DRG. Organized by state and county; Fiscal year 2006 data. Not very user-friendly nor current, but it is a place to start.

Michigan - Compare Hospitals in SE Michigan  

The Greater Detroit Area Health Council has teamed up with WebMD to provide a 7-county version similar to Medscape/WebMD's other national tools and the CMS Hospital Compare tool, to create a Health Care Performance Report. Compare MI hospitals (side-by-side) for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, Medicare mortality (survival rate) for heart attack, CABG and PCI; some safety measures and volume. Includes Detroit, Ann Arbor, Pontiac and counties: Wayne, Washtenaw, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, and St. Clair. Details provided when you click on the hospital's name and scroll for full report. Data from 2006 and 2007

Michigan 2006 Consumer Report - Selected Inpatient Conditions

The Michigan Health & Safety Coalition Consumer Report shows volume comparisons among MI hospitals for open heart surgery, percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI), abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (AAA), carotid endarterectomy surgery, esophagectomy for cancer surgery, low birthweight infants, infants with congenital anomalies, and ICU physician staffing. Hospitals are sorted by region. Probably 2006 data

Michigan Hospital Prices, Patient Opinion and Quality Ratings

Michigan Hospital Association's MI Hospital Inform web site shows Medicare charges, payments (how much Medicare pays, so you get an idea of average cost) and volumes for the top 50 most common inpatient and 50 outpatient services at 144 nonprofit hospitals. Includes services like clinic visit (without the doctor's charge), ER visit, MRI, CT scan, ultrasound. Inpatient conditions like stroke (DRG 14), hip, knee or ankle surgery (DRG 544), GI problems, psych admission, heart problems also show average Medicare charges. Patient Satisfaction (HCAHPS) and Quality ratings like those at CMS hospital compare are listed for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention, except the dates may be older here (2007-2008 data) and no side-by-side comparisons. Prices from 2006-2007, one hospital at a time

Minnesota - Hospital Price Check (Inpatient & Outpatient)

Hospital-specific prices (charges) for the 50 most common inpatient hospitalizations (DRGs) and top 25 same-day surgery procedures in MN. Find average or median inpatient cost, volume and length of stay for newborns and child birth delivery, pneumonia, chest pain, COPD, hip or knee replacement, appendectomy, cellulitis, hysterectomy, rehab, other surgeries & many more. Outpatient prices for biopsies, cataracts, colonoscopy, ear tubes, gallbladder, hernia repair, arthroscopy, tonsillectomy, upper GI endoscopy, hysteroscopy, carpal tunnel and other same-day surgery. Must know the County in order to select which hospital's prices you want. See one hospital and one procedure at a time; by Minnesota Hospital Association, 2007 prices

Minnesota Hospital Quality Ratings, 2009

A joint effort between the Minnesota Hospital Association and its QIO (Stratis Health) reports care ratings for heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention. Charts show composite scores, are prettier than at the federal CMS, and consumers can compare all MN hospitals at once. Similar to performance ratings available at the federal site, excluding mortality comparisons; 2007-2008 data

Minnesota, ND, SD, WI - Physician Clinic Ratings - HealthScores  

Compare side-by-side (3 at a time) over 150 participating medical groups, hundreds of clinic locations and urgent care centers in Minnesota, Fargo, Grand Forks, Sioux Falls, and some WI communities, for outpatient care such as: cancer screening (including a combined measure), controlling high blood pressure, diabetes care, heart (coronary artery) disease, asthma, immunization, appropriate care for children with colds and sore throats and more. Medical groups include Allina, Altru, Apple Valley, Aspen, Avera, Brainerd, Children's Physician Network, Dakota Clinic, Edina, Fairview, Fergus, Grand Itasca, Gundersen, HealthEast, HealthPartners, Lakewood, Mankato, Mayo Clinic, MeritCare, Innovis, North Memorial, Olmsted, Osceola, Park Nicollet, Regina, Ridgeview, Sanford, St. Cloud CentraCare, St. Luke's, St. Mary's Duluth Clinic, Stillwater, United, University of Minnesota, Winona Clinic, and more; OB-GYN clinics, Urgent care such as Express, MinuteClinic, Priority Pediatrics. Report by MN Community Measurement (founded by the MN Medical Association and seven non-profit health insurance plans). Unclear why dates of performance scores are not disclosed. Interactive easy-to-use format

Missouri - Hospital Quality Ratings and Community Benefit

Missouri Hospital Association site shows quality scores (percentage of time individual Missouri hospitals gave the currently recommended care) for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention. Scores are easy to read in a side-by-side format. Most data from 2007-2008. Community Benefit reports (FY 2007) also linked at this site showing charity care, bad debt, contributions, etc.

Missouri Healthcare-Associated Infections - Central Line, Surgery & Ventilators  

Three types of hospital-acquired infections - Central Line Associated Bloodstream (CLAB) Infections, Surgical Site Infection rate, and Head of Bed elevation to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia - are presented by hospital or ambulatory surgery center (ASC) name, along with a symbol identifying whether the facility has a lower or higher rate than its comparison group. Click on DATA if you want to see the actual numbers of infections. Surgery infections available for hysterectomy, hip, heart bypass (CABG), outpatient breast surgery and hernia repair. Report by the MO Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) uses 2008 data. Easy to use Web site, so long as you remember to select which type of ICU for the CLAB data

Missouri Typical Inpatient Charges and Hospital-Specific Volumes (pdf)

Median charges for 60 most common inpatient medical conditions and surgeries at 109 Missouri hospitals. Information grouped by St. Louis, Kansas City, MO, mid-sized city hospitals and rural markets. Only general prices are shown by region, but you can see how much is charged, vs. how much is usually collected. Example: About $18,000 charged for Stroke, but $6600 is usually collected. Similar information for hip and knee replacement (median price $35,543 in Kansas City; $12,177 usually collected). This may be the closest you will find to average cost. Numbers of cases treated at each hospital, average length of stay, and the lower amounts that Medicare and Medicaid usually pay also shown. Includes COPD, Pneumonia, Heart care including stents, valves & cardiac cath, Bowel surgery, GI hemorrhage, Back problems, Renal failure, Kidney and UTI, Hysterectomy, Childbirth, Rehab, Stomach problems, Hernia (inpatient), Gall bladder (open and laparoscopic), prostatectomy, spinal fusion, some cancer care and more. Data from 2004-2005 is most recent available

Montana Hospital Inpatient Charges - Compare Prices

Montana PricePoint shows average charges at MT hospitals for inpatient stays (2007-2008 prices), including newborns, deliveries, Cesarean section, knee or hip replacement, rehab, psychiatric hospitalization, back problems, heart failure, stent, chest pain, bowel surgery, more. Many hospitalizations (such as diabetes, kidney or urinary tract infections, appendectomy, inpatient gall bladder removal) can only be found by using the comprehensive search. Site by MHA-An Association of Montana Health Care Providers

Montana Hospital Outpatient Surgery Costs

Compare MT hospital charges for ambulatory surgery and diagnostic tests such as colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, breast biopsy, cardiac stress tests, cardiac catheterization. All prices EXCLUDE surgeon fees and other physician costs. PricePoint system shows last year's facility prices for common surgical procedures such as tonsillectomy, cataracts, ear tubes, knee cartilage, bunions, child's appendix removal, carpal tunnel, skin lesions, upper GI endoscopy; 2007-2008 costs

Nebraska Hospital PricePoint System (Inpatient Charges)

Find average price and typical charges for many types of inpatient hospital stays in NE. Examples: maternity prices, angioplasty, heart surgery, some cancer services, hip & knee surgery, bowel surgery, pneumonia, stroke, UTI, gall bladder surgery (inpatient only). Includes volume, average length of stay in the hospital, and median age of patient. Does not include physician costs. Shows one hospital/ one disease or condition at a time; 2007-2008 data. All cities including Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island, Creighton, Norfolk, Kearney. NHA Care Compare is sponsored by the Nebraska Hospital Association

Nevada Hospital 2004 Average Bill and Length of Stay (pdf)

Nevada selected 39 common medical and surgical diagnoses by DRG, and reports each hospital's average bill for each of the last five years. Sample DRGs: Stroke, COPD, Pneumonia, Asthma in kids, Heart Failure, Chest Pain, Bowel Procedures, Appendectomy, Gall Bladder, Hip Replacement, Back problems, Diabetes, Renal Failure, Hysterectomy, Births, Psychoses. Facility volumes and state-wide average charges also shown. Report title: Personal Health Choices.

Nevada Hospital Ratings and Patient Satisfaction Scores

Nevada Hospital Association shows NV hospitals' performance ratings on Heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infection prevention, plus patient opinion ratings. Shows 2008-2009 data for same hospital performance measures as CMS HospitalCompare website (no composite scores). Consumers may view all hospitals in the state side-by-side

Nevada PricePoint (Hospital Inpatient Charges)

Find average price and typical charges for 67 types of inpatient hospitalizations in NV. Examples: childbirth prices, COPD, heart surgery, pacemaker, stents, hip & knee surgery, digestive problems, psychiatric hospitalization, rehab. Average length of stay in the hospital also given. Choose Comprehensive Query for prices on many other conditions not on the Basic list. Get one hospital/one disease or condition at a time; 2008-2009 charges shown. Must inflate and add physician fees to estimate 2010 average costs. Sponsored by the Nevada Hospital Association

New Hampshire Hospital Ratings (Heart, pneumonia, surgery, satisfaction) 2008

NHQualityCare compares New Hampshire hospitals' performance ratings for Heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia care and surgical infection prevention, plus patient satisfaction and willingness to recommend (see page 2). More current than many sites, using 2008 data, and achievable benchmark shown. Consumers encouraged to compare Composite Scores at the end of each health topic. NHQualityCare.org is a partnership between two nonprofits: Foundation for Healthy Communities and the Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation (QIO). Updated 2009

New Hampshire PricePoint System (Inpatient Charges)

Find average price and typical charges for 64 types of inpatient hospitalizations in NH. Examples: maternity prices, heart surgery, pacemaker, hip & knee surgery, digestive problems, psychiatric hospitalization. Average length of stay in the hospital also given. Choose Comprehensive Query for prices on many other conditions not on the Basic list. Get one hospital/one disease or condition at a time; 2007 data shown. By the New Hampshire Hospital Association

New Jersey 2008 HMO Performance Report - Compare plans  

Compare six health insurance plans (HMO and POS): Aetna, AmeriHealth, CIGNA, Health Net, Horizon, and Oxford, on member-rated satisfaction with their medical care and customer service, and clinical measures related to asthma, cancer screening, heart care, hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, mammograms, new moms, immunizations, mental health and more. Easy to read; fast response. Pub. by NJ Dept. of Banking and Insurance, Oct. 2008

New Jersey 2009 Hospital Performance Report Card - heart, pneumonia, surgical infections

Guide for comparing NJ hospitals on Heart Attacks, Heart Failure, Pneumonia, and Surgical Infection Prevention prepared by the NJ Department of Health and Senior Services. Individual hospitals' overall quality of performance in 2008 ranged from 81% to 100%. Top 10% hospitals are shown. Details are available including mortality rates for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, stroke, and CABG. Patient Safety Indicators use 2007 data. Easy to use. Released Oct. 2009

New Jersey Cardiac Surgery Hospital and Surgeon Ratings, 2006 (pdf)

Heart bypass surgery survival rate information by hospital and by physician; 30-day mortality rate for cardiac bypass surgery (CABG) was 2.0% in 2006, with one hospital being significantly worse. Individual surgeon risk-adjusted performance over 2 years, and general information about NJ hospital infections in CABG surgery also shown. Published by NJ Dept. of Health April 2009

New Jersey Readmissions after Cardiac Bypass Surgery and other older reports

Readmissions of heart surgery patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG), by hospital. 30-day readmission rates, and risk-adjusted mortality rates (survival rates) shown by hospital name. Report uses 1999 to 2001 data, published Dec 2004. Other NJ reports related to Cardiac Surgery and Cardiac Catheterization can be browsed at this State of New Jersey site

New Mexico CheckPoint - Hospital Quality Ratings 2008

Compare hospital performance ratings side-by-side for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia quality (medical scores ranged from 9% to 100%), and surgical infection prevention (scores from 40% [Lovelace] to 98% [Carlsbad). Similar information as CMS website, except that time periods may differ and this site does not show mortality ratings. 2007 data from the New Mexico Hospital Association (NMHHSA)

New Mexico Hospitals PricePoint (Inpatient Charges)

Check charges (average price) and volumes for about 64 types of hospitalizations, representing about half of all NM hospital stays. No side-by-side comparisons; just one hospital at a time. Hospital conditions include maternity and newborn births, hip or knee replacement, back surgery, heart care, psychiatric, rehab care, and more. May also show hospital charity care and bad debt costs. Site by the New Mexico Hospitals and Health Systems Association, has not updated their 2005 prices, now 5 years old

New York - Cardiac Surgery (Pediatric) 2002-2005 (pdf)

Compare survival rates among 15 NY hospitals (includes mortality rate info at Columbia Presbyterian [best performer], LIJ Medical Center [worst performer], Mount Sinai, NYU Hospitals Center, Albany Medical Center, Strong Memorial, University Hospital) for Pediatric Congenital Cardiac Surgery. Includes atrial septum, ventricular septum and all types of heart surgeries. 20-page report released January 2007.

New York - Cardiac Surgery Ratings (Hospitals and surgeons, statewide) (pdf)  

Consumers can compare survival rates in this cardiac surgery performance report by NY state Department of Health. In-hospital/30 day Mortality rates for cardiac surgery shown by hospital name and physician name for adult heart bypass (CABG) and aortic or mitral valve surgery patients. Risk-adjusted mortality data, observed rates versus expected death rates, 2004 to 2006. Isolated CABG risk-adjusted mortality was 1.92% in 2006. Overall valve surgery mortality averaged 5.83% (2004-2006). Report July 2009

New York and New Jersey 2008 HMO and Hospital Report Card (nyshaf.org)  

Compare cost and quality ratings for HMOs such as Aetna, AmeriHealth, Blue Choice, CDPHP, CIGNA, Community, Empire, GHI, Health Net, HIP, Independent, MVP, Oxford, Preferred Care, United & Univera side-by-side in NY and NJ, for diabetes, asthma, postpartum care, some cancer care, mental health, antibiotic use for children, low back pain care, Board-certified physicians, monthly health insurance premiums, overall patient satisfaction experience & more. Hospital quality comparisons on heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infections also provided for NY hospitals. Inpatient volumes, average length of stay and average price (charges) provided for appendectomy, asthma, maternity (incl. newborn & c-section delivery), chest pain, depressive neuroses, diabetes, gall bladder surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, hysterectomy, stroke, cardiac procedures, pneumonia, and COPD. Some survival ratings. Impressive list of measures, too numerous to mention. Health Care Report Card prepared by the NYS Health Accountability Foundation - a partnership of the NY Business Group on Health and IPRO (the QIO). Dates of data vary; HMO premiums are supposed to be current to the month

New York Angioplasty/Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) Ratings (pdf)

NY State Department of Health reports hospital and physician-specific ratings for PCI, also known as PTCA (angioplasty) or coronary stenting. Compare hospital survival rates (risk-adjusted mortality rate - RAMR) to see which hospitals are significantly better or worse than the state average in-hospital/30 day rate of 0.87% (2006). Consumers can also find volume and survival information by surgeon's name (2004-2006), which New York has been reporting for years. Emergency cases and non-emergency types are both shown; 61 pages; released July 2009

New York City Public Hospitals and Nursing Home Ratings 2009  

Compare quality of care ratings for 11 NYC public hospitals (Bellevue, Coney Island, Elmhurst in Flushing, Harlem, Jacobi, Kings County, Lincoln, Metropolitan, North Central Bronx, Queens in Jamaica, and Woodhull in Brooklyn). Topics: heart care and survival rates for heart attack and heart failure; pneumonia, and preventing infections associated with central lines, ventilators (VAP) and surgery. Four nursing homes (Coler-Goldwater, Gourverneur, McKinney, Sea View)also can be compared for pressure ulcers (bedsores), pain management and preventing falls. NYC.gov site uses 2006-2008 data. Nice site, with improved format for facility-specific information. Impressive gains have been made in reducing infections. Editor's pick for the hospital Infections info & nursing home comparisons

New York State 2009 Honor Roll for Inpatient Hospital Care  

List shows NY hospitals with 3 stars with the best inpatient quality ratings - whose risk-adjusted mortality (death) rates in 2007 were statistically significantly lower than the state average (better survival rates). Conditions include congestive heart failure survival, heart attack survival, postoperative pulmonary embolism, DVT, hematoma, or sepsis, stroke survival, pneumonia survival, hip fracture survival, GI hemorrhage, craniotomy survival, PTCA, iatrogenic pneumothorax, accidental puncture. Prepared by the Niagra Health Quality Coalition

New York State 2009 Hospital Report Card (SM)

Compare hospitals in Central NY, Finger Lakes, Mid-Hudson, Nassau-Suffolk, New York City, Northeast, and Western regions for survival rates: AAA, carotid endarterectomy, CABG, craniotomy, esophageal resection, pancreas removal, PTCA and pediatric heart surgery, hip replacement & hip fracture death rates, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, pneumonia and GI Hemorrhage survival. Patient safety performance on hospital infections, collapsed lung, postop pulmonary embolism or sepsis, and other information for maternity and surgery (e.g. gall bladder) also included. Myhealthfinder.com is a service of the Alliance for Quality Health Care & the Niagara Health Quality Coalition. Reports for 2009 analyzed patients from 2007

New York State HMO Comparisons (Ratings & Cost Premiums)  

Compare about 20 HMO health insurance plans in NY: Aetna, Atlantis, Blue Choice, BSNENY, CDPHP, CIGNA, Community Blue (HealthNow), Empire HealthChoice, Excellus, GHI HMO Select, Health Net, HIP, IHA Independent Health, MVP, Oxford, Preferred Care Rochester Area HMO, UnitedHealthcare, Univera, Upstate. Topics include member satisfaction opinions, attention deficit medication, BMI screening for kids, breast cancer screening, bronchitis care, cholesterol control, Board certified doctors, complaint volume & more. Monthly 2009 premium rates for individual plans (consumers will be hard-pressed to find a plan under $800/month single). Prepared by the state of New York using 2006 member data (nysHMOguide.org)

New York State Hospital Quality Ratings - nyhealth.gov

Select NY hospitals to compare in seven areas: Appropriate Heart Attack care; Heart Failure care; Pneumonia; Surgical infection prevention; Adult CABG or Pediatric cardiac surgery mortality (death) rates; and Angioplasty mortality rates. The search by procedure feature shows volume of common inpatient surgeries like inpatient gall bladder removal and kidney transplants. Most data from 2008; death rates from 2006. Side-by-side comparisons do not work for 2008-2009 volumes; view individual hospital reports to see data. State Department of Health site. Able to search by region such as Long Island

New York: Heart Disease Reports (various)

Additional cardiovascular reports by the Dept of Health can be accessed here

North Carolina Hospital Ratings Heart, Pneumonia, Surgical Infections

Compare NC hospital performance (grouped by region) for Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Surgical Infection Prevention. Consumers can find similar information at the federal HospitalCompare site, but here all hospitals are side-by-side and may be easier to see by region. Site by the North Carolina Hospital Association; 2008 data

Ohio 2008 Hospital Prices - Inpatient, Outpatient, OR, ER

Selected 2008 prices are provided by each hospital through the OHA - Ohio Hospital Association. Hospital charges shown for daily room rate, labor and delivery (obstetrics), Emergency Department (ER) prices, Operating Room surgery charges in 30-minute blocks, Mammogram, X-ray, CT, MRI, Lab tests such as CBC, Lipid Profile, Urinalysis, Troponin, PTT, Toxicology screen, blood glucose; Physical Therapy, OT, EKG test, more. Price list varies by hospital. Caution: Physician professional fees may not be included - even in ER - so read the fine print

Ohio Hospital Charges and Utilization, 2007 (ohio.gov)

Ohio.gov Web site shows DRG (diagnosis related groups) inpatient charges (the closest available for average cost) and volumes by hospital. Public Warehouse data. Must know DRGs in order to find the procedure prices you want. Common hospitalizations: childbirth/ maternity & newborn delivery, heart problems, gall bladder, hysterectomy, pneumonia, stroke, rehab, joint surgery. Top 60 types of hospital stays

Ohio Hospitals - Top 60 Inpatient Hospital Prices (OHA)

As required by the Ohio Department of Health, the average and typical prices for the top 60 most common hospitalizations are listed by Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) for all payer cases. Reports published by the Ohio Hospital Association show volume, average charge and length of stay. No side-by-side comparisons. Surgery procedures and hospitalizations (such as joint replacement, delivery, hysterectomy [DRG 358], psychiatric admission, COPD, etc.) are listed in the order of volume for each hospital, requiring consumers to search for the condition they want, and check each individual hospital's report. 2008 data

Oklahoma - Average Hospital Inpatient Charges, 2007

Find the average charge (closest available to inpatient cost) for a hospital stay by Principal Diagnosis (i.e., disease) or DRG. Statewide or county-specific statistics on volume and average length of stay also found in this dataset. May specify data for a certain age group and sex. Geared to researchers and health care professionals, rather than for consumers. If this website was meant for consumers, it would get the User-Unfriendly Award. 2007 data are the most recent available from the OK State Dept. of Health's Health Care Information

Oklahoma PricePoint (Hospital Inpatient Charges)

Find average 2007 price and typical charges for many types of inpatient hospitalizations in OK. Examples: childbirth delivery prices, heart surgery, cardiac cath, hip & knee surgery, digestive problems, pneumonia, psychiatric hospitalization, rehab. Average length of stay in the hospital also given. Choose Comprehensive Query for prices on many other conditions not on the Basic list. Get one hospital/one disease or condition at a time. Sponsored by the Oklahoma Hospital Association. Consumers will need to inflate the old 2007 charges to estimate 2010 prices

Oregon - 2008 PricePoint (Hospital Inpatient Charges)

To get an idea of the average cost of hospital care, the Basic Query option allows users to check charges and volumes for 64 types of hospitalizations, representing about half of all hospital stays in Oregon. Includes maternity & newborn prices, heart care, stents, cardiac cath, heart transplant, hip and knee replacement charges, bone cancer, psychiatric hospitalization, alcohol & drug abuse, stomach or bowel problems, and rehabilitation charges. Hospital charity care and bad debt expenses also shown. Site by the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (OAHHS) shows one hospital, one condition at a time, using 2008 data. Consumers can try to get 2009 prices by calling the hospital

Oregon - compare hospital costs for under age 65 (2007)

State of OR (OHPR) posts average hospital charges paid by Oregon's 9 largest health plans (excludes Medicare, Medicaid) in 2007. Site is easy to navigate (click on Start Search), to compare costs for leukemia, chemotherapy, lymphoma, normal newborns and childbirth, prostate cancer (see Male reproductive), hysterectomy (Female reproductive), mental health, UTI, knee replacement and many more. Other than the prices being two years old, the information might be helpful if you think you can negotiate or select a better value hospital. Better inquire to see how much prices have gone up since 2007. Pub. 2009

Oregon Hospital Quality Ratings (heart, pneumonia, surgery, satisfaction scores)

Oregon's hospital association (OAHHS) provides almost the same information here as reported for the national HospitalCompare website, but the site is easier to use, since it shows the data all at once across the state. Four types of quality measures are shown: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and hospital infections (surgery); plus patient satisfaction scores; mortality (death) rates for heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia. Most data from 2007-2008

Oregon Hospital Survival Ratings and Selected Procedure Volumes (.gov)

Compare OR hospitals on survival rates (mortality/ death rates shown) or volumes for certain procedures that have recommended minimum levels. Data from 2007 for balloon angioplasty (PTCA), heart attack, heart bypass CABG, congestive heart failure, hip fracture, pneumonia, stroke, AAA Repair, carotid endarterectomy, esophageal resection and GI hemorrhage. If you want to see all health conditions at a single hospital (2005 to 2007), click on hospital trends. Pub. by oregon.gov (OHPR and HPC), 2009

Parents magazine 2009 List: 10 Best Children's Hospitals

Parents.com magazine Feb. 2009 list of top 10 best children's hospitals puts The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and those at Boston and Milwaukee, WI at the top of the list. Other top 10 include Cincinnati, St. Louis, Columbus OH, Texas (Houston), Atlanta, Rainbow Babies, and Children's Hospital in Denver. Top 5 pediatric hospitals by specialty are ranked for pediatric cancer care (led by St. Jude in Memphis), emergency services, cardiac heart care, neonatal, orthopedic and pulmonary care. In addition, 20 runners-up are named. Methodology is vague about dates of its hospital survey, but reportedly relies on hospital self-reports of volume, survival rates, safety practices and more

Pennsylvania - Hospital Quality Ratings & Patient Opinions (PHCQA)

Compare PA hospitals side-by-side for heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia care, surgical infection prevention, and patient satisfaction. Similar info at the CMS HospitalCompare (dates may vary), but this may be easier to use; 2007-2008 data. Pennylvania Health Care Quality Alliance (PHCQA) includes the PA Hospital Association (HAP), the Blue Cross Plans, the PA Medical Society and others.

Pennsylvania Cardiac Surgery, 2007 (Interactive)  

Search by hospital or surgeon's name, Cardiac (heart) Bypass surgery (CABG) and heart valve cases for 2006 and 2007. Mortality (survival) rate and readmissions, open heart surgery volume, length of stay in hospital, and average charges (closest consumers will get to average cost). Database allows you to compare doctors or hospitals side-by-side. Report by PHC4, the PA Health Care Cost Containment Council, Aug. 2009

Pennsylvania Cardiac Surgery, by hospital & surgeon 2006-2007 (pdf)  

Survival rates for cardiac bypass surgery (CABG) continue to improve in PA (1.75% mortality for CABG without valve, in 2007.) Mortality rating, case volume, readmission rate, and length of stay shown by hospital and by doctor / surgeon name for CABG and heart valve cases. Average charges shown by hospital (statewide about $137,000 without an infection. Note, prior year's report showed Medicare paid an average of only $33,520.) Overall infection rate declined. Report (54-pg) by PHC4 - Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, Aug. 2009

Pennsylvania Hospital Performance Report 2008 | PHC4 (Sept. 2009)  

Compare PA hospitals on Mortality Rating (relative survival rate), Average Charge (price), Length of Stay, and Readmissions. Thirty one (31) conditions in the pdf prepared reports include heart failure, abnormal heartbeat, heart attack, angioplasty and stent, pneumonia, stomach and intestinal bleeding, stroke, (laparoscopic & open) gallbladder removal, hip fracture, COPD, blood clots, colorectal procedures, diabetes, kidney failure, urinary tract infections, abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, hysterectomy, septicemia, (radical and transurethral) prostatectomy, respiratory failure with & without mechanical ventilation, intestinal obstruction & carotid endarterectomy. Grouped by region. Use the Create your Own Report feature to access 20 additional conditions such as Brain surgery, medical back care, bronchitis & asthma, cirrhosis, liver disease, pancreatic cancer, stomach disorders, vascular procedures and more. Symbols for Mortality ratings can be confusing - a higher mortality rating means worse survival (we think). Contains helpful glossary for diagnoses & surgical procedures. Probably the most comprehensive report for hospital care in the country. Data from Oct. 1, 2007 to Sept. 30, 2008

Prevention Makes Common "Cents"

Detailed report by US Department of Health and Human Services (September 2003) addressing the cost of disease and illness. Specific sections are included on Overweight and Obesity, Diabetes, Cardiovascular (Heart) Disease, Asthma, and Tobacco Use. Metabolic Syndrome also discussed

Prevention Priorities: Save another 100,000 lives (Aug. 2007)

By increasing the utilization of five key preventive services to 90% of the relevant population, more than 100,000 lives are estimated to be saved each year. See what this report says about taking aspirin every day to prevent heart disease, advising smokers to quit (save 42,000 lives), improving colorectal and other cancer screening rates, and getting your flu shot (save 12,000). PID cases would also go down if chlamydia infection screening went up. Title - Preventive Care: A National Profile on Use, Disparities, and Health Benefits, published by Partnership for Prevention and the National Commission on Prevention Priorities

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in US Health Care - Chartbook 2008 (pdf)  

Excellent, comprehensive chartbook by The Commonwealth Fund showing differences by race and ethnicity in health status, life expectancy (mortality), health insurance coverage, access, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, asthma, mental distress, screening tests and much more. Discusses value of Medical Homes. Top notch charts, with most recent available data. Pub. March 2008

Rhode Island - Health Insurance Plan Ratings, 2007 (pdf)

Compare three health insurance plans in Rhode Island (Blue Cross BC-RI, United Healthcare NE and Blue Cross -MA). Clinical quality scores such as cancer screening, diabetes care, heart attack care, and mental health care, plus information about access to prenatal care, well child, immunizations and asthma care; member satisfaction levels with their health plans, market share enrollment levels; profits; 2004-2007 data. Published by RI Health Insurance Commissioner (Dept. of Health) March 2009

Rhode Island PricePoint (Hospital Inpatient Charges)

Find average 2006 price and typical charges for 64 types of inpatient hospitalizations in RI. Examples: childbirth delivery prices, heart surgery, cardiac cath, stents, hip & knee surgery, digestive problems, pneumonia, psychiatric hospitalization, rehab. Average length of stay in the hospital also given. Choose Comprehensive Query for prices on many other conditions not on the Basic list. Get one hospital/one disease or condition at a time. Sponsored by the Hospital Association of Rhode Island (HARI), using old 2006 charges. Consumers will need to inflate the old charges for estimating currrent prices

South Carolina - Compare Hospital Acquired Infection Rates (HAIs)

Find surgical site infection rates at SC hospitals for hysterectomy (vaginal & abdominal), inpatient and outpatient gall bladder surgery, hip and knee replacements, and heart bypass (CABG), 2007-2008 data. Central line infections in hospital ICUs also shown; one hospital at a time. Provided by state Department of Health (DHEC)

South Dakota Average Charges for Top 25 Inpatient Hospital Stays - Statewide 2007

Data on median charges (typical prices) for 25 high-frequency SD inpatient hospitalizations and surgery. Includes newborns ($2025) and uncomplicated deliveries ($5244), Cesarean section; psychoses ($6404) and depression ($4996); complicated pneumonia, COPD ($9905); hip, knee, joint replacement ($31,450); back problems; heart failure ($10,640), Stent ($26,229), chest pain; digestive, stomach and abdominal procedures; hysterectomy ($15,763, up 15% from 2006); stroke; rehabilitation ($19,495, up 15%); kidney failure ($14,776) and more. To find the usual price for a specific hospital or surgical center, click on Hospitals in the upper right of the web page. Pub. June 2008 by SD Department of Health, 2007 prices

South Dakota Hospital Quality Ratings and Patient Opinions - free

Compare quality of SD hospitals on heart attack, heart failure care, pneumonia, preventing infections in surgery patients, children's asthma, and overall patient satisfaction recommendations. Readmission and survival ratings are also shown for heart and pneumonia. CheckPoint site by SDAHO (hospital association) uses 2008 data for most measures. Same data as reported to CMS HospitalCompare (time periods may differ), but here all hospitals are side-by-side. State average and the best 10% scores are shown

Tennessee Hospital Quality Comparison Ratings

The Tennessee Hospital Association and BlueCross BlueShield of TN have teamed up to compare hospital quality on mortality (survival rates), readmissions, volume and length of stay data. Interactive site for maternity, C-Section delivery, gall bladder surgery (laparoscopic & open cholecystectomy), cardiac valves, CABG, defibrillators, heart failure, stomach and GI problems, pneumonia, stroke, COPD, pacemakers, PCI, bowel surgery, brain surgery, back surgery, psychiatric hospitalization, hip and knee joint replacement (listed under Single & Bilateral Jt) and vascular procedures. Uses 2005-2006 data

Texas - Guide to Texas HMO Quality 2008 (OPIC)  

Lengthy (212 pages) but valuable report showing detailed clinical quality comparisons between HMO health insurance plans for indicators such as asthma, childhood immunizations, cancer screening, heart care, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes care, prenatal care, mental health care, flu shots, ER visit rates, rates of physician board certification, and more. Pub. by TX Office of Public Insurance Council Oct. 2008

Texas - Inpatient Care in Texas Hospitals, 2006 (Sept. 2008)

24 different quality ratings include patients of any payer type. Compare hospital volumes, mortality (survival rates), and certain utilization rates (i.e. cesarean section, VBAC rate, cardiac cath, appendectomy in elderly). Survival rates for heart attack (AMI), heart failure CHF, stroke, GI hemorrhage, hip fracture, and pneumonia. Volume and/or death rates provided for heart bypass surgery (CABG), angioplasty (PTCA), AAA Repair, hip replacement, craniotomy, esophageal resection, pancreatic resection, and carotid endarterectomy. Good set of reports, although dated to 2006. TX Dept. of State Health Services THCIC. If your hospital has a * by it, its mortality rate is significantly lower (good), but if it has two ** by it, its risk-adjusted mortality was found to be significantly higher; must look VERY closely to find the asterisks. Option to create your own report by searching the database by geographic area

Texas Heart Bypass (CABG) Survival Rates 2006 (pdf)

Three Texas hospitals had significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality rates (better survival rates) than the state’s 2.9% death rate for cardiac bypass (Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, or CABG) surgery. Eleven (11) hospitals had significantly higher (worse survival) rates – up to 12.2% risk-adjusted mortality. Mortality rates have continued to decline in Texas since 2003 to 3.4% in 2005 and 2.9% in 2006. State of Texas report 2008

Texas Hospital Angioplasty (PTCA) Survival Rates, 2006 (pdf)

Two (2) TX hospitals had significantly lower risk-adjusted mortality rates (better survival rates) for Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) than the state's 1.2% death rate in 2006. Nine (9) hospitals had significantly higher (worse survival) rates; those programs ranged in volume from 34 cases to 999. Report by the State of Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC) released Sept. 2008

Texas Pediatric Heart Surgery: Survival Rates 2006 (pdf)

Of the ten Texas children's hospitals (or units) listed, two hospitals showed significantly higher mortality (worse survival) than the state's 4.4% - at 8.4% and 11.6% risk adjusted mortality rate, for pediatric heart surgery. Hospitals typically report mortality rate rather than survival rates. Volumes (number of cases) are also shown for each hospital. State of Texas Health Care Information Collection

Texas PricePoint - Compare Hospital Inpatient Charges (Prices)

If you are looking for average cost of hospital care or surgery, the 2007 prices at this site by the Texas Hospital Association might be the closest you can find. Information for one hospital at a time (no side-by-side comparisons) for maternity, childbirth, newborn, c-section; hip or knee replacement, fracture repair; pneumonia, COPD, bronchitis, asthma; heart failure, chest pain, cardiac cath, bypass, stent, heart transplant; mental health, psychiatric hospitalization, depression; alcohol rehab; bowel surgery; back problems including spinal fusion and more. Volumes at each hospital are shown.

Thomson 100 Top Hospitals - 2009 Cardiovascular Winners

Thomson's 2009 selection of 100 hospitals with significant heart care programs listed, in categories: teaching hospitals with cardiovascular residencies, teaching hospitals without such residencies, and community hospitals. List only, organized by state; study used Medicare data from 2007-2008. Released November 2009

Top Performers - Why Not the Best Hospitals (Commonwealth)

The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system, launched a side-by-side comparison tool of 4500 US hospitals called Why Not the Best? Using 2007-2008 data from the CMS Hospital Compare website, this tool helps people compare overall and composite performance on heart failure, heart attack, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, and patient satisfaction, and identifies the top 1% of hospitals. Easy to use, but explicitly NOT meant for consumers choosing hospitals. Instead, it's intended to be a research tool to improve hospital performance.

UK - Survival Rates for Heart Surgery - 2008 report

Compare hospital survival rates for heart surgery in United Kingdom (2006-2007 data): heart bypass (CABG), aortic valve replacement and All Kinds of Heart Surgery. Survival rates are reportedly comparable or better (0.4 to 1.0 percentage point higher) than in the United States. Surgeon volume (by name) also provided. Mitral valve replacement or repair data listed. Updated June 2008

usnews.com Best Hospitals 2009: Heart and heart surgery

Top of the Cardiac specialty list: Cleveland Clinic (Ohio) and Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN). 50 hospitals listed. See if there is one in your state. Rankings include mortality ratio using Medicare data from 2005 to 2007

usnews.com Best Hospitals 2009: Pediatric & Children's Hospitals

Top 30 hospitals for general pediatrics, as determined by US News & World Report, based on reputation score, volume, nurse staffing, and other factors. Special lists for best children's hospitals in heart & heart surgery, and neurology & neurosurgery use mortality (death) rates. Top 30 pediatric hospitals listed for cancer, digestive disorders, neonatal care, and respiratory disorders. List called America's Best Children's Hospitals, was updated June 2009

Utah CheckPoint - Heart and Pneumonia Care Quality Ratings, 2009

Compare Utah hospital inpatient quality and ratings for heart attack, congestive heart failure and pneumonia care, 2008-2009 data. These measures are not as extensive, but are similar to what is available through CMS' HospitalCompare website, and the Joint Commission (JCAHO). May be easier to use this site, due to the side-by-side hospital comparisons. Some measures are Medicare-only, and some use all patients (all payer data). Utah Hospital Association

Utah Heart Bypass Surgery, Angioplasty, Heart Attack & Failure, Stroke: Survival & Prices

Compare 2006-2008 survival rates at Utah hospitals for adults for cardiac (heart) bypass surgery (CABG), balloon angioplasty, heart attack, heart failure and stroke. Identify UT hospitals that had the best ratings with fewer deaths than expected. The for-profit (IASIS) Davis Hospital in Layton came up very short in heart failure care. Average 2008 charges for each hospital in the conditions noted above, plus heart catheterization (cardiac cath) and heart valve charges. Prices do not include cardiologist or cardiac surgeon fees, and will soon be 2 years old. Published Dec. 2009 by the Utah Department of Health

Utah Inpatient Hospital Charges, 2008 - Utah PricePoint

Utah provides average charges (price) statewide, and on a hospital-specific basis for many common inpatient stays, such as pneumonia, stroke, appendectomy, hip and knee procedures, gall bladder surgery, hysterectomy, heart failure, heart attack, chest pain, coronary bypass, heart valve procedures, vaginal and cesarean deliveries, newborn births, chemotherapy, psychoses, alcohol or drug abuse, rehabilitation, back and neck procedures, digestive disorders, abdominal surgery, nutritional/metabolic problems, transplants and much more. Volumes (2008 data) and length of stay are included; does not include average cost for physicians. Consumers may adjust for 2010 costs by adding 2-year price inflation. As with other PricePoint Systems, view one UT hospital at a time. Utah Hospital Assn

Utah Stroke Deaths, Hospital Survival Rates and Costs

Hospital-specific survival rates for stroke compared to expected deaths. Eight UT hospitals (incl. VA Medical) had statistically fewer deaths than expected for adults ages 18 and over, 2006-2008 data. Average death rate statewide declined to 9.2% for the three years. Typical prices at individual hospitals shown. Average 2008 hospital charges were about $14,000 for two-thirds of patients, $22,146 for the remaining more severely ill group, up 12%. Web page also shows Heart Care reports. Published by Utah Dept. of Health (UDOH) Dec. 2009

Vermont - 2009 ER and Outpatient Diagnostic Service Prices (pdf)  

Compare 2009 hospital prices for physician office visit (new patient averages $49 to $465), Emergency Room, lab work, x-ray & imaging tests. MRI charges averaged $1850 [head & neck] to $2911 [brain] with physician fee, CT scan of head, neck, chest, spine, pelvis, abdomen; mammograms average $327 to $360 with physician charge; ER costs averaged $207 to $1135, depending on Level 1 to 5 (individual cities may be higher or lower), before adding charges for tests or procedures. Specific test prices for urinalysis, glucose, Metabolic Panel ($39 low; $213 high), PSA (average $109), CBC (range $35 to $84), strep test, Pap test, pregnancy test (range $20 to $83), blood typing, OB ultrasound (average $669), bone density dexa scan (avg. $388 with MD fee, listed under x-ray), Cardiology EKG ($1375 for stress EKG) and more. CPT codes listed. Probably the best State site for hospital outpatient diagnostic test and ER cost comparison. Prices good through Sept. 30, 2009. Titles of Tables 3A through 3I are too skimpy to tell you what they contain, so you may have to look through multiple Tables

Vermont - 2009 Hospital Report Cards (Act 53)  

Vermont calls these ratings Act 53 report cards, in honor of legislation passed in 2003, requiring VT hospitals to publish annual community reports about hospital quality, safety, financial health, costs for services and more. This government site links to all of the data, including outpatient prices. Health conditions include heart care, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention, central line associated bloodstream infection rates, hysterectomy infections, knee replacement and hip replacement infection rates, volume and death rates for resection of esophagus or of pancreas (usually for cancer), pediatric heart surgery, abdominal aneurysm repair (AAA), & more. This site earns Editor's Pick for putting Composite Quality Ratings, Survival Rate information, links to patient satisfaction and current medical prices all on the same same web page for easy access. Well done. Nurse staffing also available.

Vermont - Hospital Outpatient Surgery Prices, 2008 (pdf)  

Compare average gross charge (the closest you will get to average cost) for most common outpatient surgical procedures at 14 general hospitals in VT. Prices for procedures such as colonoscopy ($1859 state average, with low of $1255 at Porter Hospital to high of $2816 at North Country), colon polyp removal ($2409 average), cataract surgery (average $4575), endoscopy (stomach endoscopy prices range from $1356 at Southwestern to $3313 at Fletcher Allen), fetal monitoring (average $596), knee cartilage surgery ($5400 average), shoulder surgery, gall bladder removal (average $9353, range $7279 to $20,093 for laparoscopy), breast biopsy (avg. $3068), other biopsies, ear tubes (average $2293), cardiac catheterization (avg. $8271), tonsillectomy (about $4400), nerve block, bunion removal (range $4383 to $10,304), D & C ($3849) and many more procedures; 12-month avg. charges ending Sept. 30, 2008. As with all of Vermont's reports, the font size is about as small as you can get. Nonetheless, Editor's Pick

Vermont - Inpatient Hospital Average Prices, 2008 (pdf)  

Report shows average prices (charges) for each VT hospital's most frequent inpatient admissions - includes newborn delivery, cesarean section, pneumonia, total hip or knee replacement, depression, psychoses such as schizophrenia, COPD & emphysema, heart failure, chest pain, rehabilitation, stomach problems, appendectomy, hysterectomy, bowel, TURP and other surgery; stent, heart cath, heart rhythm problems, back problems, kidney or urinary tract infection, and other hospital stays. All common hospital admissions were more than $5000. Compare costs on 55 different types of cases, listed by MS-DRG. Links to hospital discount policies for consumers with cost concerns; 2007-2008 average charges

Virginia - Compare HMOs (Quality and Satisfaction)  

Easy to use tool to compare insurance plan ratings: Aetna, CapitalCare, CareFirst BlueChoice, CIGNA, HealthKeepers, Kaiser Mid-Atlantic, MD IPA, Optima, Optimum Choice, Peninsula, Piedmont, Priority, Southern, UnitedHealthcare including River Valley. Choose measures for access, asthma, ADHD, heart, diabetes, arthritis, immunizations, medications, mental health, preventive care, low back pain, spirometry for COPD, prenatal, maternity and newborn care; well child visits and childhood illnesses, member satisfaction for 2007. Also includes Board certification rates for some types of physicians, number of enrollees, and financial data

Virginia Health Information - Hospital Cardiac Care  

Cardiac Care Comparisons, mortality for 2007. Provides side by side hospital comparisons for volume, whether the hospital performed better or worse than expected for patient survival ratings. Cardiac cases are grouped by type: medical cardiology including heart attack, heart failure, invasive cardiology. including cardiac cath, pacemaker, angioplasty PCI, and open heart surgery, valves and CABG (heart bypass). Sort by Mortality rating to see top performers on the top of the list. Readmission ratings also shown. This report shows 3 hearts are better than one. Links to full reports on each hospital, where efficiency, financial results and charity care levels are shown.

WA Hospital Ratings - Angioplasty and Heart Bypass 2007

Compare over 30 hospitals in Washington on PCI - percutaneous coronary interventions (reopening clogged arteries) or cardiac bypass - Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (CABG). Read the symbols carefully to find the few who performed exceptionally well in 2007, and those who were significantly lower performers. Shows how hospitals did on the patient survival measures (mortality). Site by COAP - Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program, from the non-profit Foundation for Healthcare Quality, 2009

WA Premera Blue Cross - Medical Clinic Quality & Patient Satisfaction Ratings 2008  

Fifteen (15) clinics participating in Premera Blue Cross' Quality Score Card report quality performance on asthma, breast and cervical cancer screening, diabetes, ear infection and well child visits, heart disease, cholesterol screening, use of generic drugs; patient satisfaction with appointment times, waiting times and overall quality, and more. Clinics: Columbia, Lakeshore, Madrona, Minor & James, MultiCare, Pacific, Pediatric Associates, Physicians (Spokane), Rockwood, Swedish, Everett Clinic, Polyclinic First Hill, UW Medicine Neighborhood, Virginia Mason Medical, and Wenatchee Valley. Washington state including Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellevue, Bothell, Bellingham

WA Puget Sound Clinic and Hospital Quality Ratings (WACommunityCheckup.org)  

Compare care among 82 physician medical groups (nearly 240 clinic locations) in the Seattle Tacoma Olympia Bremerton region, in counties of King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap & Thurston. Includes Cardiac Study Center, Evergreen, Franciscan, Group Health, Harborview, Highline, International, Lakeshore, Minor & James, MultiCare, Northwest, Overlake, Pacific Medical, Planned Parenthood, Providence, Puget Sound, Sea-mar, Southlake, Summit View, Swedish, Doctors' Clinic, The Everett Clinic, Polyclinic, UW Medicine Neighborhood, Valley Medical Center, Virginia Mason, Western WA, a variety of Cardiology, Family Medicine, Public Health, OB-GYN, and Pediatric groups and others. Clinics voluntarily reported on how well they cared for millions of insured non-Medicare patients in asthma, diabetes, heart disease, back pain, depression, antibiotic & generic drug use, and early screening for breast & cervical cancers, and chlamydia (under mislabeled Prevention title). Ground-breaking in its scope of participation by doctors. No composite scores; users will also likely experience difficulties in printing results the way they want. Compare over 25 hospitals in region for heart care, pneumonia, surgery (preventing infections and blood clots), and patient satisfaction experience. Health Alliance Community Checkup by Puget Sound Health Alliance, uses 2007-2008 data. July 2009

Washington (state) Hospital Inpatient Prices

Find out the typical charges (2007-2008 prices) to estimate the average cost of hospital surgery or medical problems. About 60 types, including maternity care, psychiatric hospitalization and digestive problems, are covered. Shows one hospital at a time similar to other state pricepoint systems. Presented by the WA State Hospital Association (WSHA)

Washington Hospital Quality Ratings and Satisfaction Levels: Heart, Pneumonia, Surgery, Asthma

Compare WA hospital scores for Heart Attack, Heart Failure, Pneumonia and Surgical Prevention of Surgical Infections and Blood Clots, children's Asthma Care, and patient opinions. Mortality (survival) data for heart care and pneumonia. Consumers can find much of this information at the federal HospitalCompare site, but here all hospitals are side-by-side and may be easier to see. Most data are 2008; CheckPoint site by the Washington State Hospital Association

Wisconsin - Ambulatory Surgery Charges, 2007 (pdf)

Average 2007 charges in WI for 20 common ambulatory surgery procedures, such as Colonoscopy (6 codes), Endoscopy, Biopsy, Spinal Injection, Cataract & Lens, outpatient Knee surgery/arthroscopy, Cardiac Catheterization, Carpal Tunnel, Ear Tubes, Tonsillectomy, and Hernia Repair. See older 2006 report or PricePoint for procedure prices such as Laparoscopic Gall Bladder removal, polypectomy, EGD, Rotator Cuff Repair, Arthrocentesis, bunionectomy, PTCA angioplasty, cochlear implant, pacemakers. Volumes for each hospital and surgery center are shown. Prices do not include physician fees, which often cost thousands of dollars. Scroll to bottom of page for Ambulatory Surgery Data Tables, published by WHA Information Center March 2009

Wisconsin CheckPoint - Hospital Ratings and Patient Opinions  

Compare hospital quality performance and patient satisfaction ratings for 125 hospitals in WI. Topics: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, surgical infection prevention and survvival for hip, knee surgery, heart, vascular, other cardiac, colon surgery and hysterectomy; patient safety practices, incidental appendectomy rate; deaths data. See how many patients would definitely recommend the hospital. Most data in January 2010 update are from 2008-2009. Wisconsin Hospital Association makes quarterly updates. Even though the clinical topic list is sketchy (such as Bones and Digestive), WHA receives Editor's Pick for going beyond CMS measures, for showing all hospitals side-by-side, consumer ease in getting a free comprehensive quality report for one hospital, staying current, and showing comparisons to the benchmark best in the state

Wisconsin Collaborative (WCHQ) - Health Insurance Plan Ratings

Compare Dean, Gundersen Lutheran, Mercy, Physicians Plus, Security and Unity Health Plan, on 17 quality and satisfaction ratings (CAHPS & HEDIS measures). Includes Diabetes, Heart Care, High Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, and Patient Satisfaction with their doctor and health insurance plan. Shows 2007 data, one measure at a time. Report by WI Collaborative for Healthcare Quality

Wisconsin Collaborative (WCHQ) - Physician Group Ratings  

Compare WI physician clinics on measures related to Appointment availability (time to schedule a doctor's appt.), Diabetes, Hypertension, Cholesterol management, Postpartum care, smoking & osteoporosis screening, pneumonia shot, and screening for Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer & Colorectal Cancer. Includes Affinity, Aurora, Bellin, Columbia St. Mary's, Dean, Franciscan Skemp, Gundersen Clinic, Luther Midelfort, Marshfield Clinic, Medical College Physicians, Mercy, Prevea, ProHealth, ThedaCare, UW Health and Wheaton Franciscan. Some info for Monroe Clinic, West Bend, and LakeShore Medical. The Sort-by-Rank option helps you see better performers on the top of your list for some items. Easy to read reports by WI Collaborative for Healthcare Quality; 2008 and 2009 data

Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality - Hospital Inpatient Ratings & Prices

Compare hospital performance ratings for Surgery (including heart valves, gastric bypass [weight loss], angioplasty [PCI]), Heart Care, Maternity Care, Pneumonia, computerized physician orders to prevent medication errors, ICU staffing and more. Over 20 hospitals participate. Shows charges (average 2007 price) for some heart care, knee replacement, childbirth delivery, and pneumonia care; includes Leapfrog, CMS/Joint Commission measures. Some 2008 data. WCHQ report

Wisconsin Hospital Survival Ratings for Medical Illnesses  

Compare 108 WI hospitals (side-by-side) on their survival rates for stroke, heart attack, pneumonia, heart failure, hip fracture and GI Bleeding. Wisconsin Hospital Association report Deaths Due to Illness shows most hospitals performed As Expected, with a few significantly Worse, or Better than the others. Most results are from 2008 (deaths from 2007; error prevention show 2009 data), published 2009

Wisconsin Hospital Survival Ratings for Surgical Procedures  

Compare 86 WI hospitals (side-by-side) on their survival rates for AAA Repair, Craniotomy, heart (cardiac) bypass, PTCA angioplasty, CEA endarterectomy, resection of the esophagus or pancreas, and hip replacement surgery. Wisconsin Hospital Association report Deaths During a Procedure shows most hospitals performed As Expected, with a few significantly Worse, or Better than the others. Source data from 2007 (detailed practices shown for 2008), published 2009

Wisconsin Hospitals PricePoint (Average Inpatient Prices)

Average charge and length of stay for common hospitalizations including maternity and newborn births, hip or knee replacement surgery, gallbladder removal, heart surgery, angioplasty, valves, cardiac cath, pacemaker, pneumonia, mental health & depression, stroke, asthma, back care, asthma, COPD, rehab; kidney, heart, lung or other transplant; hysterectomy, prostate surgery, bowel surgery & more; Top 25 shown in a short report for each hospital. From WHA Information Center, part of the Wisconsin Hospital Association, using 2007-2008 data. Last year's charges are currently the closest information consumers are able to find about average costs. It takes a few screens, but you can compare four hospitals (anywhere in the state) at one time. Wisc. Hospital Assn. created the PricePoint System now used in other states. Site also shows charity care and inpatient volumes.

Wisconsin PricePoint - Outpatient & Ambulatory Surgery Cost

Compare outpatient and ambulatory surgery charges for colonoscopy, cataracts, ear surgery, cardiac catheterization, shoulder or knee surgery, carpal tunnel release, tonsil, appendix, breast biopsy, endoscopy, gallbladder, sterilization and more. Prices for tonsillectomy, laparoscopic appendectomy and ear tubes for kids are filed under C for Child. Shows one hospital or surgical center at a time, plus typical price in county and average 2008 surgery prices in Wisconsin