Health Affairs, doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.27.2.w116 (Published online February 5, 2008) © 2008 by Project HOPE	New Online   How Would Obama, McCain Cover The Uninsured?   Debating Cost Of Uninsured   Try Medicare-For-All   HA Blog Top 10

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Hospital Pricing And The Uninsured: Do The Uninsured Pay Higher Prices?

¹ Glenn Melnick is professor and Blue Cross Chair at the University of Southern California (USC) and RAND in Santa Monica, California.
² Katya Fonkych is a research associate at USC and RAND.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Although the health care pricing literature has grown substantially in recent years, there has been little empirical analysis of how hospital pricing behavior affects the uninsured. We use unique data from California to compare actual prices paid by uninsured patients with prices paid by commercial and Medicare patients. We find that uninsured patients pay prices similar to those of Medicare patients. Further, we find that despite increased media attention, hospital prices to the uninsured have risen in recent years. [Health Affairs 27, no. 2 (2008): w116-w122 (published online 5 February 2008; 10.1377/hlthaff.27.2.w116)]

Key Words: Access To Care, Business Of Health, Consumer Issues, Hospitals, State/Local Issues, Health Spending

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