Recently, the federal government's Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released what U.S. hospitals "charge" for 100 of the most common inpatient procedures. The release of this data caused an uproar in the media because of the vast disparity in hospital charges for pills, procedures and operations. Baptist Health fully supports the move toward improving transparency in the healthcare system and educating consumers about how to make the best choices for themselves and their families. The healthcare payment system in the United States is incredibly complex, and the information published by CMS is not meaningful or easily understandable.
