Today's NY Times highlights an important issue for patients - finding the price hospitals charge for inpatient admissions. Most will use some variation of what Medicare pays per diagnosis or DRG. The kicker is that the Medicare payment system is arcane bordering on unfathomable. In the NY Times illustration, the DRG for uncomplicated vaginal delivery is 775. Some states, NY included, use Medicare payments - yes, Medicare in some instances of disability pays for childbirth - as the model from which all other payments are calculated. But try consulting Dr. Google for this one - you come up empty. I know I did. Here's a thought for the AMA - garner some karma points by compiling all Part A payments per locale per DRG and link this to the AMA website. Perhaps State Medical Societies and Specialty Societies should compile similar lists as well. A little good will would go a long way. Remember, it's not a free market when nobody knows the price.
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