eAlert Tue, 08/13/2013 - 12:00 acb5b220-8bd8-479a-89ba-373564fdee65

<p><a href="http://www.WhyNotTheBest.org">WhyNotTheBest.org</a&gt; now enables users to compare what hospitals charge, on average, for some of the most common cardiac, joint-related, and other procedures—and to measure these prices against what Medicare pays hospitals. The new data are drawn from the first-ever release by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of "chargemaster" data on the 100 most-billed discharge categories at 3,000 hospitals around the nation. </p><p>To get started exploring, view these featured reports: </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.whynotthebest.org/reports/view/null/7191">Average Charges and Payments for Joint Procedures: Florida Hospitals</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.whynotthebest.org/reports/view/null/7195">Average Charges and Payments for Cardiac Procedures: North Carolina Hospitals</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Also check out the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Z3SWpCqEE&feature=youtu.be">latest video demo</a> in our series demonstrating how to use filters to find and compare hospitals and regions on WhyNotTheBest.org. </p>

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2013/aug/new-data-on-average-charges-on-whynotthebest