New data released by the nation’s largest nurses’ organization, National Nurses United, this week revealed that Florida is one of the primary actors nationwide in the growing scandal of high hospital charges and costs.
Florida ranks second nationally in how high it sets its charges over its costs. Florida is also home to eight of the 14 most expensive hospitals in the U.S. – all of which set charges at more than ten times their cost. Two of those hospitals are located in the Florida panhandle.
That list is led by Orange Park Medical Center with a charge to cost ratio of 1,186 percent, meaning it charges on average $1,186 for every $100 of its total costs.
Overall, Florida hospitals have a statewide average of 555 percent chart to cost ratio, second highest in the nation behind only New Jersey, and well above the national average of 331 percent.
Florida Hospitals with charges at more than 10 times their costs (by total charges as a percent of total costs)
Orange Park Medical Center, Orange Park – 1139%
North Okaloosa Medical Center, Crestview – 1137%
Brooksville Regional Hospital, Brooksville – 1083%
Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center, Davenport – 1058%
Oak Hill Hospital, Spring Hill – 1052%
St. Petersburg General Hospital, St. Petersburg – 1046%
Ft. Walton Beach Medical Center, Ft. Walton – 1043%
Lawnwood Regional Medical Center, Ft. Pierce – 1001%
The new findings are based on publicly available Medicare Cost Reports as of June, 2013, covering the fiscal year 2011-2012, analyzed by the Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Research, the research arm of National Nurses United.