Outpatient Care Prices Higher at Hospitals Than at Independent Providers, Analysis Finds

In 2011, prices for hospital outpatient procedures, such as routine blood tests and cancer screenings, varied widely and were much higher than the prices that independent physicians and clinics charged, according to a recent National Institute for Health Care Reform analysis. The findings showed price variances for $68 million in claims involving routine procedures such as colonoscopies, blood work and physical therapy.

• "Hospital Outpatient Prices Sharply Higher Than Docs', Study Finds" (Evans, Modern Healthcare, 6/26).