A new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that obtaining price information for total hip arthroplasty is difficult and that there is a wide variation in the prices quoted.
The objective of the study was to see if pricing data for total hip arthroplasty, a common elective surgical procedure could be obtained. Researchers selected two hospitals from each state that performed the procedure as well as 20 top-ranked orthopedic hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report. Each hospital was contacted by telephone and asked what the lowest completed "bundled price" (hospital and physician fees) for the procedure was for a 62-year-old woman. Each hospital was contacted up to five times.
Researchers found many healthcare providers could not provide reasonable price estimates and that patients seeking elective total hip arthroplasty could find considerable savings through comparison shopping.
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The objective of the study was to see if pricing data for total hip arthroplasty, a common elective surgical procedure could be obtained. Researchers selected two hospitals from each state that performed the procedure as well as 20 top-ranked orthopedic hospitals, according to U.S. News & World Report. Each hospital was contacted by telephone and asked what the lowest completed "bundled price" (hospital and physician fees) for the procedure was for a 62-year-old woman. Each hospital was contacted up to five times.
Researchers found many healthcare providers could not provide reasonable price estimates and that patients seeking elective total hip arthroplasty could find considerable savings through comparison shopping.
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