ORLANDO,Fla – If you pay for a hospital stay in Florida chances are you are paying an inflated rate.
A review of Medicare cost reports as of June, 2013, suggest Florida ranks second in the U.S. in terms of hospital charges versus actual cost. That's according to the Institute for Health and Socio-Economic Research one of the country' s largest nurses' organizations.
Recommended Videos
The organization reports Florida is also "home to eight of the 14 most expensive hospitals in the country," all of which the group found, charge at more than ten times their cost.
According to the IHSP/NNU that list is led by Orange Park Medical Center with a charge to cost ratio of $1,186 for every $100 of its total costs.
Overall, the study found that 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)
1. Orange Park Medical Center, Orange Park – 1139%
2. North Okaloosa Medical Center, Crestview – 1137%
3. Brooksville Regional Hospital, Brooksville – 1083%
4. Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center, Davenport – 1058%
5. Oak Hill Hospital, Spring Hill – 1052%
6. St. Petersburg General Hospital, St. Petersburg – 1046%
7. Ft. Walton Beach Medical Center, Ft. Walton – 1043%
8. Lawnwood Regional Medical Center, Ft. Pierce – 1001%
"Such inflated practices continue to price far too many Americans out of access to needed medical care or expose them to financial ruin," said Jean Ross, RN, NNU co-president.
For the charge to cost ratio for other Florida hospitals, call 510-273-2246.