Q: I’m considering surgery. Can I gather estimates for the surgery, hospital costs, associated fees and other costs before choosing from my doctor’s referrals? How would I go about this?Sharon Schilling, Denver
A: This is actually a tougher process than I estimated. Like all consumers who comparison shop before buying, surgical procedures shouldn’t differ, and on its face seems to be a fairly simple process.
Not. Though the actual costs associated with the surgical process vary among the institutions — the Mayo Clinic likely costs much more than a city-run hospital — the problem is obtaining the prices in the first place.
Though the Colorado Hospital Association gathers up the appropriate data regarding the pricing of surgical procedures among the state’s heathcare providers, that information isn’t available to the public.
The association does offer an online hospital report card that can help you pare down your list to those institutions that either handle more of your specific procedure than others or have the better track record — and click on “Quality/Patient Safety” then “Colorado Hospital Report Card.”
From there, however, you’ll have to contact the individual hospitals to request help in getting a price range. That’s not always a give-me. Some institutions won’t offer this up easily. Others, such as Exempla and Denver Health, have a staffer whose job is to provide a ballpark of your costs.
And the doctor you like might not have access to some hospitals.
Keep in mind these are approximate expenses. So many things can vary the bottom line, such as post-operative complications or an unforeseen issue during surgery.
Too, the bottom line is also in choosing a good surgeon, so don’t overlook that individual’s background with the Colorado Board of Medical Examiners.
