Effective Jan. 1, all hospitals are now required to publish standard price
lists for thousands of pharmaceutical drugs, medical supplies, procedures
and tests. The new rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
(CMS) requires hospitals to make the data searchable and update it annually
or as needed.
Known as a chargemaster, MCMC’s master price list is available at
https://www.mcmc.net/about-mcmc/hospital-pricing-lists/hospital-master/.
The chargemaster includes three files: Medications, Procedures, Supplies,
and Top 20 MS-DRG. These detailed files include more than 7,600 lines
items listing charges for rooms, surgery, medication, lab services, imaging and more.
Your hospital bill should never be a surprise. But it can be hard to predict
what treatments are required to fight illness or restore a person’s
health. Your out-of-pocket costs are based largely on your health coverage.
The best way to plan for out-of-pocket expenses is to:
Contact your health plan administrator and ask for your out-of-pocket costs
for an upcoming stay, or
Call MCMC’s estimate team at
541-296-7500.
Every patient is charged the same amount, but an individual patient’s
out-of-pocket expenses may vary based on their benefit coverage and rates
negotiated with health plans. Patients with no or insufficient coverage
may qualify for discounts.
Hospital Chargemaster Q&A
Q: When will MCMC’s chargemaster, the master list of prices for healthcare
services and supplies, be available online?
A: Pricing is currently live on the
MCMC.net website.
Q:How can the public access MCMC’s chargemaster?
A: MCMC’s chargemaster is available on the hospital website at
https://www.mcmc.net/about-mcmc/data/hospital-master/.
Q: Is the chargemaster searchable?
A: Yes. The documents are available for download in Excel, which is searchable
by keyword. To learn how to conduct a keyword search in Excel, go to
https://www.wikihow.com/Search-for-Words-in-Excel
Q: I found the list price for an upcoming procedure. How do I figure out
my out-of-pocket cost?
A: The chargemaster database reflects the hospital’s list price.
Your out-of-pocket costs are based largely on your health coverage. Patients
with medical insurance coverage, whether it be Medicare, Medicaid CCO
or commercial insurance, negotiate reimbursement rates with MCMC.
The best way to plan for out-of-pocket expenses is to contact your health
plan administrator and ask for your out-of-pocket costs, or call MCMC’s
Business Office at
541-296-7500 for an estimate.
Q: Why is MCMC making the chargemaster available to the public?
A: Your hospital bill should never be a surprise. Hospitals in the U.S.
are now required to post an online list of their standard services according to
Final Rule: Fiscal year 2019 Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment Systems
for Acute Care Hospitals (Federal Register, Vol. 83, No 160/August 17,
2018, 83 FR 41144) further implementing section 2718(e) of the Public
Health Service Act).
Q: How many prices are available on MCMC’s chargemaster?
A: MCMC’s chargemaster is a detailed list with over 7,600 line items.
Q: What charges are available in the chargemaster?
A: MCMC’s chargemaster includes three files: Medications, Procedures
and Supplies. These detailed files include charges for rooms, surgery,
medication, lab services, imaging and more.
Q: What is not included in the chargemaster that patients will be billed
for separately?
A: Clinic charges and all professional provider services, including physician
and mid-level providers (e.g. anesthesiologists, nurse practitioners,
physician assistants), are not included in the chargemaster. Patients
will be billed for these services separately. Federal law requires hospitals
to share the hospital chargemaster, not the professional chargemaster,
and some providers bill via independent, outside billing services.