Sunday, May 12, 2013 | 2 a.m.
Prices for the same type of treatment — whether for kidney failure or a knee replacement — can vary wildly depending on the hospital you choose, often differing by tens of thousands of dollars, according to data released earlier this week by the federal government.
The Medicare data, released Wednesday, covers the average charge for the most common types of procedures at 3,300 hospitals nationwide, including 13 in the Las Vegas Valley.
The results reveal wide fluctuations in cost for services regionally and within individual cities.
For instance, in Las Vegas, treatment for pneumonia costs $36,669 at St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus, the cheapest in the valley and nearly half the price for treatment at Valley Hospital.
A number of factors contribute to the different costs of care at different hospitals. Most patients won't pay the "sticker price" listed in the Medicare data and instead will have it covered by private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid at lower rates. However, some uninsured or out-of-network patients could find themselves charged for the full amount.
The Sun analyzed the data, which covers about 60 percent of Medicare inpatient cases in 2011, and found which hospitals in the Las Vegas Valley charged the most and which charged the least for treatment of the 10 most common ailments. Included is the total number of patients discharged after treatment and the average cost per patient.
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Major joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity without major complications
Highest- Summerlin Hospital: $118,996; 91 patients
- Desert Springs Hospital: $117,478; 54 patients
- Spring Valley Hospital: $110,359; 146 patients
- University Medical Center: $71,358; 39 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Siena Campus: $71,894; 518 patients
- MountainView Hospital: $71,944; 81 patients
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Esophagitis, gastrointestinal and miscellaneous digestive disorders without major complications
Highest- North Vista Hospital: $45,330; 38 patients
- Summerlin Hospital: $39,452; 155 patients
- Desert Springs Hospital: $39,181; 102 patients
- University Medical Center: $24,936; 46 patients
- Southern Hills Hospital: $30,920; 65 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus: $31,134; 65 patients
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Septicemia or severe sepsis with major complications
Highest- Spring Valley Hospital: $122,813; 53 patients
- North Vista Hospital: $122,424; 50 patients
- Valley Hospital: $115,303; 108 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $74,786; 46 patients
- University Medical Center: $81,382; 47 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Siena Campus: $85,236; 107 patients
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Kidney and urinary tract infections without major complications
Highest- Sunrise Hospital: $41,231; 68 patients
- MountainView Hospital: $37,782; 129 patients
- Desert Springs Hospital: $37,305; 55 patients
- University Medical Center: $24,602; 48 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $28,549; 51 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus: $30,803; 59 patients
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Heart failure and shock with complications
Highest- Summerlin Hospital: $56,988; 74 patients
- Sunrise Hospital: $54,405; 82 patients
- Centennial Hills Hospital: $53,407; 36 patients
- Southern Hills Hospital: $35,074; 28 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Siena Campus: $38,807; 75 patients
- University Medical Center: $38,974; 52 patients
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Chest pain
Highest- Desert Springs Hospital: $39,801; 97 patients
- Sunrise Hospital: $37,279; 86 patients
- Spring Valley Hospital: $35,171; 54 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $23,610; 59 patients
- Southern Hills Hospital: $24,458; 31 patients
- University Medical Center: $24,928; 43 patients
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Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with complications
Highest- Valley Hospital: $70,593; 73 patients
- Sunrise Hospital: $62,135; 80 patients
- MountainView Hospital: $59,186; 105 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus: $36,669; 40 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $37,237; 45 patients
- University Medical Center: $38,060; 49 patients
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without complications
Highest- Valley Hospital: $43,869; 66 patients
- Centennial Hills Hospital: $42,866; 45 patients
- Summerlin Hospital: $40,646; 54 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $26,041; 18 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Siena Campus: $26,622; 38 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus: $27,724; 37 patients
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Syncope and collapse
Highest- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $42,525; 15 patients
- Sunrise Hospital: $42,411; 91 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus: $40,552; 25 patients
- Valley Hospital: $28,484; 108 patients
- University Medical Center: $28,508; 29 patients
- Desert Springs Hospital: $29,951; 70 patients
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Renal failure with complications
Highest- MountainView Hospital: $59,745; 89 patients
- Spring Valley Hospital: $56,304; 36 patients
- Southern Hills Hospital: $55,853; 39 patients
- University Medical Center: $29,078; 56 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - San Martin Campus: $38,204; 37 patients
- St. Rose Dominican Hospitals - Rose de Lima Campus: $40,373; 31 patients
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