Top Hospitals Charge Drastic Markups That Far Exceed the Cost of Care

By Consumers For Quality Care, on June 30, 2021

New research from John Hopkins University shows that most top hospitals across the U.S. are charging patients more than 5 times the actual cost of the care provided, with 9 hospitals charging more than 10 times the cost of care.

HCA’s Chippenham Hospital in Richmond, VA was found to have the most outrageous markups, charging on average more than 13 times the cost of care they provided.

“Hospital predatory billing practices and markups are bad news for consumers, making quality health care unaffordable,” said Former Rep. and CQC Board Member Donna Christensen. “Unfortunately, even while Americans are dealing with the effects of a pandemic, these practices are still widespread.”

As hospitals increasingly markup their charges, they are becoming less transparent in the process. An analysis shows that hospitals have largely failed to comply with new federal rules forcing them to list their prices online so consumers can comparison shop. Of the 100 hospitals with the highest revenue, only one in four have fully put their prices online, in compliance with the rule.

Forcing patients to pay far more than what their care is worth is completely unacceptable. CQC urges lawmakers to immediately end these toxic hospital billing practices that are making health care impossible for consumers to afford.