About Our Data
Who We Are
MedicalPriceCheck.com is an independent project dedicated to making hospital pricing data accessible and understandable. We are not affiliated with any hospital, insurance company, or healthcare provider. Our goal is to help patients make informed decisions by presenting publicly available price transparency data in a clear, searchable format.
Data Source
All pricing data on this site comes from hospital price transparency files that hospitals are required to publish under the Hospital Price Transparency Rule (45 CFR Parts 180 and 182), a federal regulation finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Since January 1, 2021, hospitals have been required to make their standard charges publicly available in a machine-readable format.
What We Show
We collect and display three types of prices from these files:
- Cash Price — The price a hospital charges patients who pay out of pocket, without using insurance. This is sometimes called the "self-pay" or "uninsured" rate.
- Gross Charge — The hospital's list price before any discounts or negotiations. This is typically the highest price and rarely reflects what anyone actually pays.
- Negotiated Rates — The rates that hospitals have negotiated with specific insurance companies. Your actual cost depends on your specific plan, deductible, and copay structure.
Methodology
We download machine-readable pricing files that hospitals publish, typically as CSV or JSON files. We extract pricing data for common shoppable medical procedures identified by CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) billing codes. Hospital facility information is cross-referenced with the CMS Provider of Services file for accurate location data.
Limitations
- Prices may be outdated. Hospitals update their transparency files on varying schedules. The prices shown reflect the most recent data available at the time we processed each hospital's file, but may not match current pricing.
- Not all hospitals are included. We currently cover a limited number of hospitals. Coverage will expand over time.
- Prices are not quotes. The prices displayed are published standard charges and do not constitute a price quote. Your actual cost may differ based on clinical circumstances, additional services, and your insurance coverage.
- Data quality varies. Hospital transparency files vary in format, completeness, and accuracy. We make reasonable efforts to parse and normalize this data, but errors may exist.
- CPT codes may not fully describe a procedure. A single billing code may correspond to slightly different services at different hospitals. Additional charges for anesthesia, facility fees, or other services are not always included.
Not Medical Advice
This site provides pricing information only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. The information presented should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about medical care.
We do not endorse any hospital, procedure, or treatment. The inclusion of a hospital or procedure on this site does not imply any recommendation regarding the quality of care provided.
Contact
Questions about our data or methodology? Reach us at hello@medicalpricecheck.com.