Hospitals with decreasing cost-to-charge ratios bill greater surgical charges for similar outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The cost-to-charge ratio reflects the markup of hospital services. A lower cost-to-charge ratio indicates lower costs and/or greater charges. This study examines factors associated with cost-to-charge ratio trends to determine whether decreasing cost-to-charge ratio is associated with worse surgical outcomes.

Methods

The Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration Inpatient database (2018-2020) was queried for common surgical procedures and linked to the Distressed Communities Index, RAND Corporation Hospital data, Center for Medicare Services Cost Reports, and American Hospital Association data. Only hospitals with monotonically increasing or decreasing cost-to-charge ratio were included in the study. Univariable analysis compared these hospitals. Using patient-

SUBMITTER: Zander T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11382364 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature