San Francisco's Board of Supervisors committee is examining hospital pricing and consolidation in the city, following projected annual health costs of nearly $500 million for employees and retirees in 2011, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
San Francisco is dominated by several major healthcare systems: Sutter Health controls 44 percent of the city's hospital beds, followed by Catholic Healthcare West with 28 percent and UCSF with 26 percent, according to the report. This level of control means that only 2 percent of beds are controlled by other hospitals, leaving less room for negotiation and competition.
The supervisors have asked healthcare experts to speak on the factors driving hospital costs, specifically the significant price difference between Northern and Southern California. According to the report, experts have estimated San Francisco costs around 70 percent more per patient per day than Los Angeles.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle report on hospital pricing.
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San Francisco is dominated by several major healthcare systems: Sutter Health controls 44 percent of the city's hospital beds, followed by Catholic Healthcare West with 28 percent and UCSF with 26 percent, according to the report. This level of control means that only 2 percent of beds are controlled by other hospitals, leaving less room for negotiation and competition.
The supervisors have asked healthcare experts to speak on the factors driving hospital costs, specifically the significant price difference between Northern and Southern California. According to the report, experts have estimated San Francisco costs around 70 percent more per patient per day than Los Angeles.
Read the San Francisco Chronicle report on hospital pricing.
Related Articles on Hospital Finance:
U.S. Healthcare Spending Grows Faster Than Other Countries
LifePoint Q1 Net Income Up 75%
CHS Presentation to Investors Reiterates Stance That Tenet Lawsuit Is Without Merit