Project Overview
The Hospital Cost Tool dashboard provides state policymakers, employers, and researchers with analytical insights into how much hospitals spend on patient care services, and how such costs relate to the hospital charges (list prices) and actual prices paid by health plans.
Hospital prices and margins rose to the top of the health care policy agenda as the COVID-19 pandemic shifted historical use patterns and increased operating costs. Even state agencies and large employers with considerable purchasing power are often constrained in price negotiation with hospitals, because of how little they know about each hospital’s cost for providing patient services. In addition, health care purchasers lack reliable information on how their hospital payments compare with Medicare.
Having a comprehensive view of revenue, costs, and margins is important for policy makers to assess how price increases relate to the rising costs of providing services at hospitals.
National Academy of State Health Policy
Evidence & Insights From This Project
The Hospital Cost Tool Makes It Easier to Understand Health Care Costs and Pricing
The Hospital Cost Tool is a dashboard that offers analytical insights into how much hospitals spend on patient care services, and how such costs relate to the hospital charges (list prices) and actual prices paid by health plans.
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