CMS Website Compares Hospitals

Recently, we have written about comparisons between premiums for Medicare Supplement Policies, prescription drug policies and the coverage itself.  In this piece we will address a study comparing hospitals and Medicare coverage.

The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) has created an advertising campaign to the tune of $2 million to help people across the country compare hospitals – in their local area and nationwide.

The internet site is www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov  gives the average amount that Medicare has paid for specific health issues, such as a heart attack.  For instance, in Dallas area hospitals, Medicare paid  a Denton, TX hospital $10,461.  By comparison, for the same treatment, Medicare paid an Irving, TX hospital $4,164. 

Why the difference?  There are many factors that contribute to the reasons that there are different payments to different medical centers and hospitals for various operations and procedures.  A couple of factors that impact price and payments are whether a hospital is a teaching hospital, which incurs more expenses because of the teaching aspect, which can be costly.  A second factor can be the financial implications if a hospital treats a high percentage of low-income patients.  This becomes a factor because statistics show that often these hospitals are paid less because they depend on Medicare/Medicaid payments which are usually lower than insurance company payments or private payment.
In addition, because of being limited in coverage and finances, low income individuals and/or families often have poorer health.

One of the areas that the site comparing hospitals addresses, is the quality of care in hospitals.  For instance, Baylor’s Heart and Vascular Hospital is listed as best at giving patients antibiotics one hour before surgery, following the proven information and statistics that show that doing so saves lives.  The site also shows that Baylor has scored high customer satisfaction for is giving patients help and other items that they ask for – quickly – and not making them wait for a long time.

Other areas that the hospital compare program will address are the areas involving chronic lung illness and diabetes.  In June, the site will begin reporting the numbers and percentages of deaths from pneumonia, which causes a substantial number of deaths in hospitalizations for many reasons.

There will be more comparisons of diseases and conditions added to the site based on how common the diseases or conditions are and the amount of information available.

If you find yourself in a situation where you may have to go into the hospital, or if you just want to be prepared in case the situation ever presents itself, log on to the hospital compare site at www.hospitalcompare.gov, and compare all the hospitals in your surrounding area.  This will tell you how well patients are treated, how well they do after treatment, surgery or other procedures, and which hospitals are being paid how much for the procedure you might be needing.  You have information available for free that can help you make one of the most important choices you may ever have to make. 

Filed under: General-Medicare

Tags: CMS, compare hospital prices, compare quality, General-Medicare, hospital