Numbers guy sheds light on confusing hospital pricing

Medical pricing seems downright arcane and illogical to anyone outside a hospital finance office. The phenomenon of huge pricing differences between hospitals – in the same city and for the same procedures – has received a lot of ink in recent months. And numerous websites have cropped up to allow consumers to see exactly what hospitals charge. The picture is often puzzling: $37,145 for a pacemaker implantation at Oregon Health & Science University and $65,395 for one at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, according to Nerdwallet.com.