1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
California's Costliest Hospitals
Reporters: Jordan Rau, KHN and Sarah Varney, KQED. Editor: John
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Oct. 18, Nov. 21, Nov. 22
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
At a time of national concern over health care costs, hospitals are becoming marketplace powerhouses that dictate higher prices to insurers and employers. This phenomenon is especially evident in northern California. Prominent hospitals and networks, especially those in the San Francisco Bay Area, can keep raising prices beyond inflation because their sizes or reputations give them clout in negotiating rates with insurers, researchers say. Yet high prices don_t always equate with superior care. Through new construction and expanding its doctors' groups, Sutter Health is enhancing its position as one of the most dominant hospital systems in California. In addition, Sutter is further ahead of many competitors in fashioning itself into a so-called accountable care organization, responsible for coordinating care between hospitals, specialists and primary doctors. KHN extensively analyzed California hospital prices and interviewed dozens of experts and hospital executives to illustrate the impact of Sutter Health, the priciest chain. Working with public radio station KQED, KHN had several text stories, photos, a radio story and an interactive chart that compared hospital prices and quality by hospital system, location and year.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
No FOI or public records act requests were required. The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) collects from hospitals and makes available on the Internet in Excel format. We analyzed the state of revenue from private insurers, taking into account the number of inpatient stays and outpatient visits, to produce a comprehensive look at how different regions and hospital systems in California collect vastly different prices for an average hospital stay or visit than do others. We also used the OSHPD data to detail the rapid rise of hospital prices for insured patients. The analysis was significant because the prices hospitals negotiate with insurers are confidential. We also obtained actual prices one insurer, Aetna, paid to hospitals for specific common procedures. These prices are made available to Aetna consumers on the web. This allowed us to compare specific prices between hospitals. Then, we matched these data with hospital quality data that is made public in California and published by the California Hospital Assessment and Reporting Taskforce (CHART).
5. Explain types of human sources used.
We spoke to hospital executives, insurance officials, state officials, academics, insurance brokers, employers, patients and patient advocates. Many spoke on the record about the high costs of particular hospital systems such as Sutter Health and provided actual costs of treatments.
6. Results (if any).
Our stories reached millions of readers and listeners as we published or aired our work in a variety of media. Our reporters were interviewed by Bay Area radio stations about the story as well as USC Annenberg School of Communications_ health journalism program, and our work was incorporated into a presentation for journalists about how to use OSHPD data to write about hospitals. We believe the main result was to bring about a greater understanding and knowledge about the role of hospitals in rising health care prices, and how some institutions have the market clout to charge what they want. Both of these points are rarely touched upon in public discussion of health care costs, which generally focus on the role of insurers and government.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Consult by clicking here .