Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The cost of colonoscopies, MRIs, CT scans and mammograms can shift a lot from place to place.
It costs $420 less to get a colonoscopy in Cherokee County than Forsyth County. That's according to data from New Choice Health, a private company that encourages people to become smarter healthcare consumers. CT scans, Mammograms and MRIs also are much cheaper on average, and even below average costs for all of Georgia. These big regional differences have been in the news lately: As the Washington Post wrote on Wednesday, "One hospital charges $8,000 - another $38,000." Using the same data as the Post, The New York Times listed out the prices of a series of procedures in hospitals across the country. The Times and the Post used data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Patch worked with New Choice Health to examine the cost …
Monday, May 13, 2013
A database released by the federal government shows shocking price discrepancies.
How can a medical procedure that costs $7,000 at one hospital cost nearly $100,000 at the hospital down the street? Because patients don't know what anyone charges for anything. That might change soon. The federal government has released a database laying out charges for common medical procedures at hospitals across the country, The Huffington Post reports. Officials said they released the data to make hospitals more intelligent competitors and patients better informed consumers. The results are vexing: What's your reaction to the variation in health care prices? Will this information change how you seek health care? What should be done to improve medical pricing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Georgia's Governor cites unknown costs, lack of flexibility in federal regulations.
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Friday, November 16, 2012
Gov. Nathan Deal today told the Obama administration that Georgia will not set up its own health care exchange, citing the administration's "one-size fits all" approach and the high cost that the law places on states. “I remain committed to common sense health care solutions that empower consumers to take responsibility for their own health, motivate the private sector and drive efficiencies for consumers, employers and governments alike,” Deal said in a press release. “I continue to hope that we might finally engage in a serious conversation about restoring meaningful flexibility to states around health care programs.” Deal said the federal government needs to loosen regulations that restrict states’ options. He said he would support a "…
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Two Cherokee women are looking to give back in this week's Dispatch. But before they can open a free clinic, they need to raise more than $20,000.
A free clinic aims to fill the area's health care gap, but before the nurses at Bethesda Community Clinic can help Cherokee County residents in need, they have to raise more than $20,000 in start-up costs. The free clinic hopes to set up in Holly Springs to provide free and low-cost medical care to people without health insurance. Volunteer medical professionals will staff the clinic while nurses and citizen volunteers help with other issues. The clinic comes after years of recession and double-digit unemployment have swollen the ranks of families who can't afford health care and don't have insurance through employers. The Georgia unemployment rate has exceeded the national rate for four years and was 10.1 percent in July, according to the…
Ralph Stepp
11:40 am on Thursday, May 16, 2013
Mr Jones, either you are stupid or guilty of blind support of Obama's Communist policies of big Government being the source of taking care of everyone or perhaps you are sincerely lacking in knowledge of truthful facts coming our hourly regarding world facts. 1. Snowbirds wait until they come to the US for treatments because "it takes too long" or "it is not available through the system in a … more ›