It is important to note, a hospital “charge” is not the same as “expected payment.” A charge is the amount billed for a service. In the vast majority of cases, hospitals are paid considerably less than the billed amount. Hospital charges are based on the type of care provided and can differ from patient to patient for the same service. The differences between patients are related to complications or varying treatments needed due to the patient’s health.

Even though the hospital’s prices on our list are the same for all patients, actual charges for each specific patient may vary from the listed standard charges due to a combination of factors.

The Healthcare Financial Management Association has published a booklet, “Understanding Healthcare Prices: A Consumer Guide,” which can help you better understand where to get answers to your questions about healthcare prices, how to compare prices among providers and how to manage your out-of-pocket costs. View the guidebook online>