WASHINGTON – Different hospitals in different places can charge very different prices for the same procedure.
New data from the federal government show, for example, that the cost of a joint replacement can range from $5,304 in Ada, Okla., to $223,373 in Monterey, Calif.
The data, collected by Medicare from more than 3,000 U.S. hospitals, contains some good news about prices in Maryland and Virginia.
The Washington Post crunched the state-by-state numbers for 10 common hospital procedures and issues — including major lower joint replacements, heart failure and pneumonia — and found average prices in Maryland the lowest in the nation.
The Post’s interactive graphic comparing state averages also shows the average price in Virginia is lower than national averages in all cases.
In D.C., the average prices for those hospital procedures match or exceed national averages in seven of 10 cases.
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