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

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

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

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

CPT and ICD-9 CM Codes for Outpatient Surgical Procedures (pdf)

Five-page document showing procedure codes for outpatient colonoscopy, laparoscopy & laparoscopic surgery including hysteroscopy and cholycystectomy (gallbladder removal), breast biopsy & surgery such as reconstruction, hernia repair, liposuction, facial surgery such as blepharoplasty, and knee arthroscopy. Geared to people with coding or clinical knowledge. Prepared by Virginia Health Information (vhi.org)

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

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 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 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

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 - Outpatient Surgery & Procedures Prices, 2007

The most common type of colonoscopy in Maine (2007 prices for CPT code 45378) cost $1176. Unclear what the total charges would be, with both facility and physician fees. Cataract prices averaged $2264; most common Upper GI endoscopy was $1134 (CPT 43235). Knee arthroscopy average cost was $2409; Laparoscopic gall bladder removal was $3531 in 2007; Hernia repair was $3102; Hysteroscopy cost $2452; Carpal tunnel release was $1952; Ear tubes were $1185. Additional procedure prices (average cost) listed by CPT code are at this site by HealthWeb of Maine. Consumers must inquire as to what both facility charges and doctors' professional fees would be for 2009 and 2010

Maine Charges for Surgery, x-ray, imaging tests (MHDO)

Maine Health Data Organization's HealthCost website shows average charges (prices) and actual average payments for surgery such as knee arthroscopy, tonsillectomy, gall bladder removal, hernia repair, breast biopsy, carpal tunnel, kidney stones, total hip replacement; tests such as colonoscopy, mammogram, x-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound. Good news is that both physician and hospital charges are shown to give you an idea of total cost (and discounts); CPT codes also shown. Bad news: prices date from 2005-2007, or nearly 3 years old. From maine.gov

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

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.

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

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 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 Costs - Outpatient Surgery, Tests and Maternity

Shows typical prices for many outpatient procedures, plus inpatient maternity care. NH Health Cost shows expected average cost for over 30 common tests and ambulatory surgeries including colonoscopy, mammogram, ER visit; chest x-ray or x-ray for spine, shoulder, knee, ankle, or foot; bone density scan, CT scan (3 types), MRI for back, brain, knee, or pelvis; myocardial imaging; arthrocentesis, arthroscopy of knee, breast biopsy, destruction of lesion, outpatient gall bladder surgery, hernia repair, kidney stone removal, tonsillectomy, breast ultrasound, and other maternity ultrasound tests, births. Site uses 2007-2008 costs increased by 5% for price inflation, common language instead of requiring codes, and includes physician fees. Must supply zip code and insurance information (or no insurance). Report by The NH Department of Insurance updated 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 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

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

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

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

usnews.com Best Hospitals 2009: Digestive Disorders

Fifty hospitals ranked, using Medicare data 2005-2007, 30-day mortality index, volume, reputation and other factors. Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic lead the 2009 list. GI problems, inpatient Gall bladder cases, & bowel surgery are included in this best hospitals category, formerly referred to as Gastrointestinal Disorders

Utah Gall Bladder Removal costs - Inpatient & Outpatient (NEW Sept 2008)

Average Charges (closest you will get to costs) for outpatient laparoscopic gall bladder removal surgery in Utah were $6258 in 2006. Price range for hospital ambulatory surgery centers varied from $2841 to nearly $12,000. Volumes and Inpatient prices for gallbladder surgery also shown statewide ($13,000 to $40,000 depending on type) and by hospital name for laparoscopy and Open procedures. All patients over age 18, not just Medicare. Report was the first of its kind and shows that over 95% of all gall bladder removals were laparoscopic - 3/4 done as outpatients. Utah Dept. 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

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

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