- A Health Affairs study found that hospitals charge commercial health plans two to three times more than what they charge the same insurer’s Medicare Advantage plans for the same procedure. Researchers found that the median commercial prices for 46 procedures and services offered in 2022 were 1.8 to 2.7 times more expensive than Medicare Advantage prices, with the largest gap in surgery and medicine. The larger price ratios were found among larger, system-affiliated hospitals and teaching hospitals, and large national insurers. Of note, the authors only used data from approximately half of the hospitals with disclosed prices – 2,434 of 4,331 hospitals – due to potential inaccuracies in their data. (Article here; Study here – subscription required)
August 8, 2023
Providers