Hospital Pricing – Frequently Asked Questions.
Effective Jan. 1, all hospitals are now required to publish standard price lists for thousands of pharmaceutical drugs, medical supplies, procedures and tests. The new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospitals to make the data searchable and update it annually or as needed.
Known as a chargemaster, MCMC’s master price list is available here.
The chargemaster includes three files: Medications, Procedures, Supplies, and Top 20 MS-DRG. These detailed files include more than 7,600 lines items listing charges for rooms, surgery, medication, lab services, imaging and more.
Your hospital bill should never be a surprise. But it can be hard to predict what treatments are required to fight illness or restore a person’s health. Your out-of-pocket costs are based largely on your health coverage.
The best way to plan for out-of-pocket expenses is to:
Contact your health plan administrator and ask for your out-of-pocket costs for an upcoming stay, or
Call MCMC’s estimate team at 541-296-7500.
Every patient is charged the same amount, but an individual patient’s out-of-pocket expenses may vary based on their benefit coverage and rates negotiated with health plans. Patients with no or insufficient coverage may qualify for discounts.
Hospital Chargemaster Q&A
Q: When will MCMC’s chargemaster, the master list of prices for healthcare services and supplies, be available online?
A: Pricing is currently live on the MCMC.net website.
Q: Is the chargemaster searchable?
A: Yes. The documents are available for download in Excel, which is searchable by keyword. To learn how to conduct a keyword search in Excel, go to https://www.wikihow.com/Search-for-Words-in-Excel
Q: I found the list price for an upcoming procedure. How do I figure out my out-of-pocket cost?
A: The chargemaster database reflects the hospital’s list price. Your out-of-pocket costs are based largely on your health coverage. Patients with medical insurance coverage, whether it be Medicare, Medicaid CCO or commercial insurance, negotiate reimbursement rates with MCMC.
The best way to plan for out-of-pocket expenses is to contact your health plan administrator and ask for your out-of-pocket costs, or call MCMC’s Business Office at 541-296-7500 for an estimate.
Q: Why is MCMC making the chargemaster available to the public?
A: Your hospital bill should never be a surprise. Hospitals in the U.S. are now required to post an online list of their standard services according to
Final Rule: Fiscal year 2019 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems for Acute Care Hospitals (Federal Register, Vol. 83, No 160/August 17, 2018, 83 FR 41144) further implementing section 2718(e) of the Public Health Service Act).
Q: How many prices are available on MCMC’s chargemaster?
A: MCMC’s chargemaster is a detailed list with over 7,600 line items.
Q: What charges are available in the chargemaster?
A: MCMC’s chargemaster includes three files: Medications, Procedures and Supplies. These detailed files include charges for rooms, surgery, medication, lab services, imaging and more.
Q: What is not included in the chargemaster that patients will be billed for separately?
A: Clinic charges and all professional provider services, including physician and mid-level providers (e.g. anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants), are not included in the chargemaster. Patients will be billed for these services separately. Federal law requires hospitals to share the hospital chargemaster, not the professional chargemaster, and some providers bill via independent, outside billing services.