Frequently Asked Questions
What is hospital price transparency?
Since January 2021, the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule requires hospitals to publish their standard charges for all items and services in a machine-readable format. PriceStats makes this data searchable.
Where does this data come from?
All pricing data comes directly from the machine-readable files (MRFs) that hospitals publish on their websites in compliance with CMS requirements.
How often is the data updated?
We regularly re-process hospital MRF files as they are updated. The last-updated date for each hospital is shown on its detail page.
What are billing codes?
Billing codes like CPT, HCPCS, and MS-DRG are standardized codes that identify specific medical services and procedures. You can search by these codes to compare prices across hospitals.
Why do prices vary so much between hospitals?
Hospital pricing is influenced by many factors including location, facility type, negotiated insurance rates, and the complexity of services offered. Price transparency data helps consumers understand these differences.