Cost of procedures vary by hospital

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Jenifer Cook finds inspiration in each piano key she plays, but she hit a sour note when her son's hospital bill came in the mail.

His echocardiogram alone cost $2,200, a real problem since David doesn't have insurance. In sticker shock, Cook called other hospitals to see if the price was the same.

"Such a difference. I'm talking twice as much," she said.

But Cook got excuse after excuse before she got answers. We tried it for ourselves, calling the business office as any other consumer would have to do.

We asked six local hospitals for the price of three common medical procedures using codes outlined by the American Medical Association. We got not only excuses, but ultimately answers that varied by thousands of dollars. 

If you have to have an MRI on your face or neck, it'll cost $2,364 at Presbyterian. At Frye, it runs $900.

To get your tonsils taken out, it costs $7,750 at Cleveland Regional. At Gaston Memorial it's just over $1,849.

Finally, a cardiac catheter is a procedure where a tube is inserted into a vein so doctors can check out the heart. Presbyterian told us it would cost anywhere between $30,000 and $40,000. While at Gaston Memorial the business office quoted us $8,000.

Don Dalton is Vice President of Public Relations for the North Carolina Hospital Association. He said, "We would be the first to point out how dysfunctional the health care payment system is in this country." 

He says the extreme price differences depend largely on which doctor is used, and the technology involved in the procedure. 

Dalton adds, "We envision the day coming when a person would be able to go online and know the procedure they anticipate having, know the physician they anticipate doing their work, and look and see what the typical track record is for in terms of cost for that procedure and physician in that specific hospital."

But as Cook can tell you, the only way to know now is to ask, just don't expect an easy answer. 

"I want to know what am I being charged, how much, how much is it up front," Cook said.

What you are charged and what you actually pay depends on numerous factors too, like whether you have insurance. Also keep in mind all hospitals offer some kind of financial assistance for those who qualify.

To get the AMA's procedure codes go to: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/3113.html. Click on: CPT/RVU Search.