Primary Listings
NQF Issue Brief: Price Transparency for Consumers (pdf)
Basic 6-page overview for administrators titled: Providing Consumers with Useful Information About Healthcare Prices; describes the many concerns and arguments about disclosing meaningful prices. Issue Brief #6 by the National Quality Forum, August 2007
Self-Reported - Average Charges - Spectrum Health
Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan reports average inpatient charges for childbirth and selected inpatient surgeries and surgical procedures. Site also lists average charges for outpatient CT, MRI, mammography, ultrasound, x-ray, laboratory tests, PET scans and outpatient surgical procedures such as gallbladder removal, hernia repair, cataracts, tonsillectomy, and arthroscopy. Long list of prices available for Butterworth / Blodgett for 2008
Self-Reported Average Costs - Medica (Health Plan Contract Rates)
Main Street Medica provides average cost ranges by hospital or clinic name, for common hospital inpatient stays, outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging tests, medical equipment, prosthetics, & supplies for diabetes & ostomy care, chiropractors. Also gives comparative costs for generic vs. prescription drugs, and price estimates for lab tests. Links to hospital quality comparison tool by WebMD, and clinic quality ratings reports. Includes Minnesota, Fargo and Grand Forks, ND, Sioux Falls, SD and a few WI hospitals. Reported prices apply to Medica member services, not necessarily the general public. Prices may be a little old, but site is very responsive and easy to use. Medica is a Twin Cities-based NCQA-accredited health insurance plan serving 1.3 million people.
Self-Reported Charges (Prices) - ProHealth Care
ProHealth Care (Waukesha and Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) provides online comparisons of charges for certain common inpatient hospitalizations such as maternity, and provides the ability to look up charges for procedures such as colonoscopy, MRI, CT, and EKG, as well as surgery such as knee replacement, carpal tunnel, cataracts, ear tubes, vasectomy, hernia, hysterectomy. Prices are undated and do not include surgeon or other physician fees. Self-reported quality reports also at this site
Self-Reported Costs: My Cost by Alegant Health (Omaha/Council Bluffs)
This site is an example of a nine-hospital healthcare system providing cost information to consumers on its own hospitals (IA & NE only). You must know your insurance plan, zip code, employer, and specific test or procedure, to access the My Cost tool. Site reports having information on the out-of-pocket cost for 500 procedures, by factoring in the discounts and deductibles. May be confusing to find physician fees
Self-Reported Hospital Charges: Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (Lebanon, NH) gives average charges (price through Sept. 30, 2009 and out-of-pocket cost estimates based on your insurance) for doctor's office visit, routine physical, ER visit, eye exam, Lab tests (such as strep test at $62, CBC, lipid profile, PSA at $80), Screening Mammogram ($465), MRIs (e.g. $4398 for brain MRI including professional fees), CT scan, stress tests, Pregnancy and prenatal tests such as blood typing, OB ultrasound ($745); Bone density scan, chest x-ray; Colonoscopy screening ($4143), outpatient gall bladder surgery ($20,074), ear tubes, child tonsillectomy ($8924), hip and knee replacement, arthroscopy ($12,633), breast biopsy for cancer, and more. Impressive site. Quality reports also at this site
Self-Reported Hospital Prices - Rush Copley
List of procedures and surgery price range from early 2009, self-reported by Rush-Copley Medical Center (Aurora, IL). You may be surprised to see colonoscopy cost is $4704 (or as high as $10,000)before adding the physician fees; 2010 prices not yet posted
Self-Reported Lab Test Prices (self-pay) - Prairie Lakes
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System in Watertown, SD offers a direct lab access program for the public (no physician order needed) for self-pay patients. Prices include pregnancy test, cardiac risk assessment profile, cholesterol screen, glucose test, A1C test (diabetes control), hemoglobin, lipid panel, PSA test, TSH (thyroid) and urinalysis. Many tests cost $10 to $20
Self-Reported Prices & Quality - Oakwood Healthcare (MI)
Oakwood Healthcare System in Dearborn, Michigan reports average inpatient prices such as maternity & c-section delivery costs (without newborn or OB-GYN), hip or knee replacement surgery (without surgeon), lab band or gastric bypass, hysterectomy; outpatient surgery prices (excluding physician fees) for bronchoscopy, bunion surgery, carpal tunnel, colonoscopy, laparoscopic gall bladder removal, hernia repair, knee arthroscopy, balloon angioplasty, endoscopy, cardiac cath (without cardiologist); cardiac scoring, MRI, ultrasound, CT angiography, mammogram, cardiac stress test, hysteroscopy, cystoscopy; lab tests like CBC, glucose, cholesterol, PTT, TSH tests, much more. Caution: site implies even Office Visits do NOT include the doctor's fees, adn does not say if these are average prices from 2008, 2009 or older. Great list of procedures, easy to use, but no doctor fees. Quality reports on surgery, heart care and pneumonia for 2008; read carefully
Self-Reported Prices: HealthCare Partners (CA) 2009
HealthCare Partners Medical Group - a large multi-specialty group of doctors at dozens of clinics in southern California, including Pasadena, Los Angeles, Torrence, South Bay, Long Beach, and the San Fernando Valley - has posted its 2009 physician prices for a few basic services such as an Office Visit, physical exam, mammogram, colonoscopy, chest x-ray, EKG, vaccines and childhood immunizations, flu shot (age 65+) and more. Read the fine print on Gardasil. Physical exam prices go up at age 40
Other Helpful Listings
Commonwealth Fund & Harris Interactive: Public Views on Health Reform
Telephone survey by Harris Interactive for The Commonwealth Fund in May 2008, shows vast majority of adults (Democrats, Republicans AND Independents) think the President should #1 ensure healthcare and insurance are affordable; #2 improve quality of care, and #3 decrease number of uninsured. The level of support holds at 76% or higher for ALL subgroups, regardless of income. geography or party affiliation. Strong majority support for also having a primary doctor to coordinate care (91%), information about the quality of care provided by different doctors or hospitals (95%), and knowing costs before getting the care (88%). Report published Aug. 2008