Medicare posts hospital payment data online

The Department of Health and Human Services has posted information on what Medicare pays for 30 common elective procedures and other hospital admissions. Included is payment information for several urologic procedures.

“Once people gain better information, they become better consumers of health care, and that helps get health care costs down and quality of care up,” said HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt.

The posting shows the range of payments by county and the number of cases treated at each hospital for a variety of treatments provided to seniors and people with disabilities in fiscal year 2005. These treatments include 30 common elective procedures, including urinary tract operations, prostate removal, and kidney and bladder cancer operations.

The information is posted at www.cms.hhs.gov/HealthCareConInit/01_Overview.asp#TopOfPage.