(GPB News) – Georgia residents now have a new way to compare the estimated costs paid for a large variety of health care services in the state, thanks to a searchable “shop for care” resource launched as part of the Georgia All-Payer Claims Database.
After entering information including your ZIP code, the Georgia APCD Cost Comparison Tool will give you the median provider costs on more than 200 medical procedures ranging from cardiac stress tests and childbirth to knee replacement and colonoscopies, the administrator of the Georgia All-Payer Claims Database says.
Dr. Jon Duke directs the Center for Health Analytics and Informatics at Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Health Emerging and Advanced Technologies Division, which administers the APCD for the state of Georgia.
While there can be significant ranges for things such as radiology, the No Surprises Act protects patients from getting hit with an out-of-network anesthesiologist, for example, if your chosen surgeon is in network.
“Most people aren’t too picky about who their radiologist is, unless they’ve been getting regular scans at a given location,” Duke said “So, in that context, someone might say, ‘Oh, I can get the low back MRI at this center down the way, and it’s $700, and over here, it may be $2,000, and those kinds of differences can drive a change.”
In other cases, someone might decide to undergo hip surgery near home or choose a place because they’ve performed many of them.
The website, which filters by payer type, including commercial insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, shows the median statewide commercial facility cost for a common surgery.
According to the new tool, the median cost for knee replacement is $17,199, with a professional provider adding another $2,239 to that. Across the state, the cost of that procedure ranges on the low end from $6,833 for the facility and $590 for the provider to $22,963 and $2,673 respectively.
“The tool is a great resource for consumers in Georgia,” Duke said. “It should be looked at, however, with all the consideration of looking at one’s own insurance, consulting with one’s on health care providers, and taking into effect sort of the broader picture that goes into a health care decision. But it’s a really great part of that equation and we’re excited about it.”
