by Marshall Riddle, Senior Analyst, MCOL
 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently released data that included hospital-specific charges for the more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals that receive Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) payments for the top 100 most frequently billed discharges. The data shows wide variations in what hospitals charge.
 
Ten new lists have been posted on healthsprocket which list hospitals with the highest average covered charges and hospitals with the highest total payments for five selected inpatient services: Hospitals with Highest Average Covered Charges for Services Covered by Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for Cervical Spinal Fusion, Hospitals with Highest Average Total Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Payments for Cervical Spinal Fusion, Hospitals with Highest Average Covered Charges for Services Covered by Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for Major Joint Replacement Or Reattachment Of Lower Extremity, Hospitals with Highest Average Total Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Payments for Major Joint Replacement Or Reattachment Of Lower Extremity, Hospitals with Highest Average Covered Charges for Services Covered by Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for Major Cardiovasc Procedures, Hospitals with Highest Average Total Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Payments for Major Cardiovasc Procedures, Hospitals with Highest Average Covered Charges for Services Covered by Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant, Hospitals with Highest Average Total Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Payments for Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant, Hospitals with Highest Average Covered Charges for Services Covered by Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) for Pulmonary Embolism and Hospitals with Highest Average Total Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Payments for Pulmonary Embolism.
 
You can also view the original data from CMS here