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Released: June 30, 2011
Health care costs vary widely nearby
Source: Kelly Kennedy, USA Today
Patients pay as much as 683% more for the same medical procedures, such as MRIs or CT scans, in the same town, depending on which doctor they choose, according to a new study by a national health care group. That means patients who pay for a percentage of their care, instead of a co-payment, may end up spending hundreds of dollars more for a certain procedure than they would if they chose treatment somewhere else — often within a few minutes' drive. "There's been a barrage of studies that show differences from region to region," said Christopher Parks, founder of Change:healthcare. "That makes sense — California's more expensive than Alabama. But this is within a 20-mile radius in your own town."Read Full Article: Health care costs vary widely nearby
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