How Hospital Cost Finder compares hospital prices

What information we use

We use public and hospital-published information. Depending on the page, that can include:

• hospital machine-readable standard charges files
• hospital price-transparency pages
• hospital shoppable-services or estimate tools
• official hospital location and contact pages
• local public price-comparison tools when available
• service-specific billing codes used for comparison

Current Manhattan pilot pages rely mainly on hospital machine-readable standard charges files, hospital price-transparency pages, estimate tools, and official location or contact pages.

What a listed price means

A listed price is a starting point, not a final bill.

Hospital price files may include several types of prices, including:

• discounted cash prices
• gross charges
• payer-specific negotiated prices
• other fallback prices when a preferred price is not available

When a hospital publishes more than one price field, Hospital Cost Finder shows the most useful comparable price available and labels the price type.

These prices may not include every related charge. For imaging services, a hospital price may not include radiology interpretation, physician charges, or other related fees.

How we choose which price to show

For current scheduled-care comparison pages, the display price is selected in this order:

1. discounted cash price for the facility or non-professional row
2. gross charge for the facility or non-professional row, clearly labeled
3. discounted cash price or gross charge from another matching row, clearly labeled
4. lowest negotiated rate when no discounted cash or gross charge is available, clearly labeled

Current pages do not select a payer-specific plan price as the main display price. If future pages are insurance-specific, payer-specific prices can be handled separately.

When price types differ, we avoid treating them as directly equal. For example, a discounted cash price and a gross charge are not the same kind of number. If a page includes both, the price type is shown so users know what they are comparing.

How we match services

Each service page is built around a specific service name and billing code.

Example:

• Service: CT scan of pelvis without contrast
• Billing code checked: 72192

Hospital files do not always describe the same service in the same words. When service descriptions differ, we match the hospital's published row to the closest service-code and description available.

If a hospital does not publish a usable match for a service, it may be excluded from the main comparison or shown separately.

How local recommendations are made

Hospital Cost Finder does not rank hospitals overall.

Instead, recommendations are made for one service in one local market. A hospital may be recommended for one service and not another.

We look at:

• listed price
• price type
• whether the hospital has a usable estimate or contact path
• whether the hospital is a major local option
• whether another hospital may make more sense because of specialty focus
• whether system continuity matters, such as when a patient's doctor is already at that hospital

Common recommendation types include:

• lowest listed price found
• major hospital option
• specialty hospital option
• system-continuity option
• public hospital option

Why some hospitals appear separately

Some hospitals appear in an other-options section instead of the main comparison.

That can happen when:

• the price type is different from the main comparison
• the hospital is a public or city hospital
• the hospital is a specialty facility
• the source has a usable price but less direct scheduling information
• the hospital is relevant but not a like-for-like comparison

These hospitals may still be worth checking before scheduling.

Why your final cost may be different

Your final cost can differ from the listed price.

Common reasons include:

• your insurance plan
• your deductible
• whether the hospital is in network
• whether a physician or radiologist bills separately
• whether the billing code changes
• whether additional services are added
• whether the hospital gives a different estimate through its own tool

Before scheduling, ask the hospital:

• Can you confirm the billing code for this service?
• Is the listed price facility-only?
• Will a physician, radiologist, or other clinician bill separately?
• Does the estimate change if I use insurance?
• Can I get an insurance-specific estimate before booking?

How often information is checked

Each page shows a "last checked" date.

Hospital price files, estimate tools, and contact pages can change. A listed price should be confirmed with the hospital before scheduling.

If a hospital updates its price file or estimate page, the page may change after the next refresh.

When we do not publish a page

A page should not be published or indexed when the information is too weak.

Examples:

• fewer than two useful hospitals can be compared
• the service match is unclear
• prices are missing or too inconsistent to explain
• no useful contact or estimate path is available
• the page cannot give a practical next step
• the service is emergency-oriented rather than scheduled care

The goal is to publish useful comparison pages, not every possible hospital-service combination. Pages that do not meet these standards are not published or are kept out of search results.

How to read comparison pages

A local service page answers: Where should I get this service near me?

A hospital profile answers: Is this hospital worth checking for scheduled care in this area?

A hospital comparison page answers: Which of these two hospitals should I choose for this exact service?

Each page type uses the same underlying idea: compare one practical decision using public information and clear next steps.

Scheduled care only

Hospital Cost Finder is for scheduled care.

Do not delay emergency care to compare prices. If you may be having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Read more about the site scope on the scheduled care only page.

Corrections

Hospital price data can be difficult to interpret. If something appears wrong, outdated, or mismatched, contact us with the hospital name, service, billing code, and source you are seeing.