ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 31, 1995 TAG: 9601020071
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
Western Virginia hospitals won a healthy ranking in the state's 1995 survey of charges for inpatient services. In 11 of the 15 categories, the 29 Western Virginia hospitals were below the statewide median.
The four categories in which charges were higher than the statewide median are: the treatment of pulmonary disease, pediatric asthma and bronchitis, alcohol and drug abuse, and mental illnesses.
Part of the higher charges can be attributed to longer hospital stays than the state median.
An earlier survey found Western Virginia's nursing home charges were among the lowest in the state. But in 10 of the 15 surgeries identified in a survey of outpatient procedures, the region's median price was higher than the statewide median.
For the Consumer Price Guide to Local Hospitals, Virginia is divided into five geographic health planning areas. The area that includes the Roanoke and New River valleys includes hospitals from Danville to Norton.
The charges listed represented the amount the hospitals bill a patient or a patient's insurance company. The amount a hospital is reimbursed is generally less than the charge - often substantially less, said the Virginia Health Services Cost Review Council, which published the survey.
Also, in some cases, hospitals being compared are not equal. Some of the urban hospitals, such as those in Roanoke, Salem and Lynchburg, may get more severely ill patients because the hospitals have more sophisticated facilities.
The survey was conducted from records of cases from June through December 1994.
When costs are compared at the four largest facilities - Roanoke Memorial and Community in Roanoke, Lewis-Gale in Salem, and Centra Health in Lynchburg - Centra comes in lowest.
The Lynchburg hospital also treated the most cases in many of the categories surveyed. For example, the median charge for hip and knee replacements, and the length of stay and number of cases the charge was based on were: $13,152, six days, 153 cases at Centra; $21,084, six days, 145 cases at Lewis-Gale; and $22,345, seven days, 122 cases at Roanoke Memorial. Community doesn't do the replacements.
Charges jumped all over the place in the survey, though. Montgomery Regional Hospital was the lowest for adult diabetes treatment with a median charge of $2,418 based on a two-day stay and eight cases. In the same category, Wise Appalachian Regional's charge was $6,231 based on 41/2 days and 10 cases.
Charges for treatment of kidney and urinary infections ranged from $3,455 at Bedford County Memorial Hospital, based on a four-day stay and seven cases, to $7,843 at Franklin Memorial in Rocky Mount, based on a five-day stay and seven cases.
Both Bedford and Franklin are owned by Carilion Health System in Roanoke. Even though hospitals are owned and operated by the same company, their charges can be affected by a variety of costs, the state council pointed out.
Hospitals with more patients might be able to charge less. Some also include fees for a staff physician or nurse anesthesiologist in the charges.
The 15 categories of treatment surveyed were stroke, heart rhythm problems, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pediatric asthma and bronchitis, adult pneumonia, stomach and intestinal bleeding, diabetes, kidney and urinary infections, nutritional problems, back and neck surgery, nonsurgical back problems, hip and knee replacement, alcohol and drug abuse or dependence, and psychoses including major depression, schizophrenia and paranoia.
Consumers who would like a copy of the survey may call (804)786-6371, or write the cost review council at 805 E. Broad St., Sixth Floor, Richmond 23219.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Chart: 1995 hospital inpatient charges.by CNB