Ranking Compliance of the Hospital Pricing Data Files

Hospitals in the US are required to provide a public data file with pricing information on their medical services. This is never-before-seen data, so we’ve been collecting it like holographic Pokemon cards (still waiting for the ROI on those…). We have been aggregating this data since it was mandated on January 1st and now have put together a live map on our website (for desktop viewers) showing which hospitals have posted data files and what they included in those files.

As of 5/25/2021

What’s in these files?

Let’s start with what should be in these files… The legislation requires that hospitals post the following data for all services and items:

  • gross charges
  • discounted cash prices
  • payer-specific negotiated charges
  • de-identified minimum and maximum negotiated charges

We have certainly found files that meet these requirements, but also some that fall short. Hover over a hospital on the map to see details on what their file includes, along with a compliance score (1-5 stars, updates on the logic behind this coming soon!). There is also information on the number of payers in the file, the types of services that were posted (e.g. labs, surgery, imaging), and more.

What’s in it for me?

If you’re a cartographer, then this is a no brainer (LOVE me a good map). For everyone else, we think that patients should be able to shop and compare pricing across hospitals and also know what the cost of a procedure would be before even going to the hospital. Zoom in on a state or metro area to see what hospitals in your area have posted compliant files. Use the search tools on our website to take a closer look at the rates.

Where are the rest of the hospitals?

Turquoise regularly reviews provider websites to find new price transparency data. While many providers have recently posted data, there are still a significant chunk of hospitals that have not posted a machine readable file. Do you see a hospital reported as missing a machine readable file that has now posted a file? Please notify us at info@turquoise.health