CMS unveils hospital outpatient charges for first time

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released hospital outpatient charge data for the first time.

According to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, “A more data driven and transparent healthcare marketplace can help consumers and their families make important decisions about their care. The administration is committed to making the health system more transparent and harnessing data to empower consumers.”

The release includes estimates for average charges for 30 types of hospital outpatient procedures, such as clinic visits, echocardiograms, and endoscopies.

The data set includes the hospital’s name, location, average charge for a given procedure. and Medicare’s payment comparison.