A recent study revealed that colonoscopies cost significantly more at hospitals compared to Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs). The study, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and published in JAMA Health Forum, analyzed facility fees for colonoscopy procedures covered by private health insurance across the United States.
Key findings of the study include:
- Facility fees for colonoscopies at hospitals are on average about 55% higher than those billed by ASCs.
- The study examined data from 13,287 colonoscopy facility fees charged by 3,582 hospitals and 17,052 ASCs in 50 states and Washington, D.C., as of May 2023.
- The average facility fees billed by hospitals were $1,530 for colonoscopies, $1,760 for colonoscopies with biopsy, and $1,761 for colonoscopies with removal of polyps. In contrast, ASCs charged $989, $1,034, and $1,030, respectively, for these procedures.
- The study found that, in the same county and under the same insurer, colonoscopy facility fees were 54%, 56%, and 61% higher at hospitals than at ASCs.
- The study did not examine facility fees charged under Medicaid and Medicare. This significant cost difference highlights the disparity in healthcare pricing between different types of facilities and raises questions about healthcare affordability and accessibility.