Heart Surgery Costs Vary Greatly in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania hospitals are getting better at heart surgery, but the charges for such procedures continues to vary greatly among medical centers.

In the Philadelphia region, for example, the highest and lowest hospital charges for the 21 medical centers performing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery fluctuate by $275,000.

The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, in a report released Wednesday, found statewide mortality rates for patients undergoing CABG and heart valve surgeries declined in 2012 — as did readmission rates within 30 days of surgery.

The study looks at outcomes for 20,164 patients who underwent CABG surgery and/or heart valve surgery in the 59 Pennsylvania hospitals that performed the procedures between July 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2012. Read more about the study on PBJ.com

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