Cost of surgery around Southern Colorado
When it comes to how much you spend on a surgery or a prescription for you or a family member, most people don’t think they have a choice in what they pay.
Similar to going grocery shopping or buying something online, there are more affordable options that most of us don’t know about.
That’s why KRDO is comparing procedure costs and prescription costs for you to let you know there are other options to save money. What we found out people who go to Pueblo area hospitals are paying more for the same procedures done in Colorado Springs.
We are comparing the top four hospitals in the Colorado Springs-Pueblo area: Saint Mary-Corwin, Parkview Medical Center, Penrose St. Francis, and UC Memorial.
All four are capable of performing a variety of procedures and surgeries. So many that we are narrowing it down to only two procedures; major joint repair, and intracranial hemorrhage.
We are getting the average costs of the procedures from the American Hospital Directory
For major joint repair, it’s one of the most common procedures done at all four hospitals. Each hospital is ranked in the top two. The least expensive hospital to get this surgery done is Penrose with the average cost being $13,269. Next is UC Memorial with $14,233 followed by St. Mary-Corwin with $14,682. The most expensive is Parkview with an average cost of $14,756. That’s nearly a $1,500 difference from Penrose. Which means that extra 40-minute drive to Colorado Springs may be worth the trip and gas money.
For intracranial hemorrhage, all four hospitals are about the same for how many of these procedures they do. However, when you compare the cost there are big differences.
The most affordable for this surgery is at Penrose Hospital. Its average cost is $7,387. The most expensive is Parkview with an average cost of $9,356. That’s almost a $2,000 difference. As for Saint Mary-Corwin, they have the second highest cost at $8,261 and UC Health with $7,930.
As to why there is a big price difference between the hospitals, we sat down with Penrose Hospital’s chief financial officer Patrick Ballard and the president and chief executive officer of Parkview Medical Center Mike Baxter. Both say there is a lot of costs that go into a surgery.
“Cost between hospitals and a lot of that is based on services,” said Baxter, “For example, we have a level two trauma center and the cost incurred with being a level two trauma center in this community is pretty significant.”
Ballard says for a surgery like major joint repair, the costs add up, “Labor costs, supply cost, and then the example you are asking about there are implant costs which is a very volatile field,” says Ballard.
Ballard also says that there are ways to lower your cost of a surgery, with health being a big factor.
“Weight, smoking, other health issues, those are things that can potentially increase your costs,” said Ballard.
Both Ballard and Baxter say the biggest thing someone can do is talk to the hospital’s financial advisors to get an estimate of how much the procedure will cost.
Baxter said, “Talk to people on the front end and try to avoid surprises. We have people here that will help, people that will give you an idea, give you estimates.”
To see other procedures and their estimated costs, click here.
