Prices For Common Medical Services Vary Substantially Among The Commercially Insured.
Using a national multipayer commercial claims database containing allowed amounts, we examined variations in the prices for 242 common medical services in forty-one states and the District of Columbia. Ratios of average state prices to national prices ranged from a low of 0.79 in Florida to a high of 2.64 in Alaska. Two- to threefold variations in prices were identified within some states and Metropolitan Statistical Areas.
David Newman (dnewman@healthcostinstitute.org) is the executive director of the Health Care Cost Institute, in Washington, D.C.
David
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Newman
Stephen T. Parente is an associate dean and professor of finance at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.
Stephen T
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Parente
Eric Barrette is the director of research at the Health Care Cost Institute.
Eric
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Barrette
Kevin Kennedy is a research assistant at the Health Care Cost Institute.
Kevin
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Kennedy
D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics; D062306:Geography, Medical / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000191:economics; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D017149:Private Sector / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States
Consumer Issues; Health Spending; Variations