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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 30, 2005 Hospitals crank up childbirth bills Maternity patients are charged twice what it costs the hospital to provide the service By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune Southern Oregon hospitals charge maternity patients more than twice as much as it costs to deliver a child, according to a report prepared by a Clackamas-based health advocacy group. Jackson County hospitals on average charged patients 107 percent more for a normal vaginal delivery than the procedure cost them to provide, said Maribeth Healey, executive director of Oregonians for Health Security, a union-supported group that supports changes in the health care system. Healey said Oregonians for Health Security commissioned the study to point out the wide disparity in what hospitals charge for childbirth. She noted that the "markup" (the difference between what childbirth costs a hospital and what it charges patients) ranges from as little as 78 percent in the Salem area to as much as 129 percent in the Portland area. Hospitals owned by out-of-state organizations tended to have higher markups for childbirth, and locally owned hospitals tended to have lower markups, Healey said. Data in the study showed that hospitals in small rural communities such as Lakeview and Enterprise charged maternity patients as little as 20 to 25 percent more than their costs. Oregonians for Health Security analyzed hospital data collected by the state Office of Health Policy and Research, including total births in 2004, the number of vaginal births, the estimated average hospital cost, and the average "sticker price" — the hospital’s suggested retail price. Advertisement The study concluded that there was no correlation between hospital volume and costs. The busiest hospital, Providence St. Vincent Medical Center (with 5,873 births) charged an average of $5,795, with a markup of 137 percent. The second busiest hospital, Salem Hospital (with 3,216 births) charged $3,962, with an average markup of 57 percent. In Southern Oregon, Providence Medford Medical Center was the least expensive place to have a child, with an average sticker price of $4,805 and a markup of 104 percent. Rogue Valley Medical Center charged $5,450 (110 percent markup). Ashland Community Hospital charged $5,523 (107 percent markup). Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass charged $5,992 (114 percent markup). Southern Oregon hospitals’ maternity charges reflect the region’s large number of indigent and uninsured patients, said Mike Strasser, assistant administrator of fiscal services at Providence Medford Medical Center. State and federal insurance programs such as Medicaid do not reimburse hospitals for the full cost of a delivery. People who have commercial insurance end up paying a share of the costs incurred by others, he said. He also noted that the cost of malpractice insurance adds as much as $1,000 to the cost of each delivery. Healey said the study should encourage families to shop for the best deal because pregnancy is one of the times when patients can choose their hospital. To see the report in its entirety, visit the Web site at:www.oregoniansforhealthsecurity.org/ Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail Hospitals crank up childbirth bills ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s