Well see, they do actually have a list that says what everything costs. It’s called the Charge Master List. They just don’t want you to see that list, because they think it puts you at a negotiating disadvantage. It’s the magic invisible hand of the free market, at work to make pricing information available to all in the most efficient manner. (/s)
Hospital chargemasters have limited utility to the average patient, as they reflect the maximal “sticker rate” the hospital rate charges per procedure, rather than negotiated rates or cashpay rates.
They’re a good tool for figuring out the ceiling of what you might pay, just not a silver bullet for knowing what you will pay.
Well see, they do actually have a list that says what everything costs. It’s called the Charge Master List. They just don’t want you to see that list, because they think it puts you at a negotiating disadvantage. It’s the magic invisible hand of the free market, at work to make pricing information available to all in the most efficient manner. (/s)
Hospital chargemasters have limited utility to the average patient, as they reflect the maximal “sticker rate” the hospital rate charges per procedure, rather than negotiated rates or cashpay rates.
They’re a good tool for figuring out the ceiling of what you might pay, just not a silver bullet for knowing what you will pay.