Three San Luis Obispo County Hospitals Among Most Expensive in Nation, Study Says
Three hospitals in San Luis Obispo County are ranked among the 100 U.S. facilities with the highest gross charges, according to a survey released Tuesday by the California Nurses Association, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports. The study examined hospital mark ups on list prices of services over the hospitals' cost of providing the services.
Tenet Healthcare-owned Twin Cities Community Hospital and Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center were ranked 18th and 23rd, respectively. According to the survey, both hospitals mark up prices by more than 740%. French Hospital Medical Center, owned by Catholic Healthcare West, was ranked 81st. The survey states that prices at the facility are marked up by 590%.
Hospital officials said that the study uses old and irrelevant data and that price schedules do not reflect how much hospitals actually collect for their services (Welton, San Luis Obispo Tribune, 12/14).
The survey is available online. Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the report.