New Online Tool Reveals What Hospitals Charge

Figuring out how much hospitals charge for various procedures just got a lot easier. NerdWallet, a site that specializes in personal finance and price-comparison tools, recently created a How Much Hospitals Charge tool that lets consumers see the price of the 100 most common inpatient services at more than 3,200 hospitals across the country.

"Consumers never had this information before," says Christina LaMontagne, vice president of health for NerdWallet. "You went to the hospital with a blindfold on."

NerdWallet's data are based on a study by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The tool not only shows what hospitals charge but also the average amount the government's Medicare program pays those hospitals for each of the 100 procedures. LaMontagne says that there are several ways that people can benefit from this information.

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People who are uninsured or underinsured might benefit most from being able to find out which nearby hospital charges the least for a procedure they need and will have to pay for out of pocket. They also can use the price data to negotiate lower charges for services they receive. For each procedure, the tool shows the number of patient cases at all of the hospitals. So if you're concerned that the procedure you need has only been performed a few times at the lowest-priced hospital in your area, you still can go into a pricier facility armed with rate information that you can use to get that hospital to lower its price. The information about what Medicare pays for services also can be a powerful bargaining tool. To learn how to negotiate a lower price, see Bargain With Hospitals to Slash Bills.

Those who have health insurance policies with high deductibles or co-insurance, which requires policyholders to pay a percentage of their bills, also can use the price information to find the most affordable hospital. The lower the cost of a procedure, the less they, too, will have to pay. Remember, however, that the rates listed on the NerdWallet tool are what hospitals charge on average. Your insurer likely has negotiated prices with network providers that might be lower than the average rate a hospital charges. But it's still worthwhile to comparison shop and use the NerdWallet rate information to negotiate the best price.

For more online resources to help you get the best deal on medical care, see Shop Prices for Health Care on the Web.