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OAKLAND, Calif., Jun 13, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A report released Friday lists the 10 most expensive hospitals in every U.S. state, measured by how much they mark up their gross charges over costs.
The findings were based on federal cost reports and data for millions of patients discharged from more than 4,000 hospitals in fiscal years 2000 and 2001.
Not surprisingly, the report, by the Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Policy (IHSP) and commissioned by the California Nurses Association, revealed a link between how much a hospital marks up charges and its profits. The 100 hospitals that topped the most expensive list had the highest profits. The bottom 100 were likely to have financial losses.
The report also found the most expensive hospitals tended to be associated with corporate chains.
All but one of the top ten in the nation were in California. The lone exception was a hospital in Texas. The cheapest hospitals were mostly sprinkled throughout the midwest.
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
