California’s costliest healthcare
As The Times' Lisa Girion reports, opinions differ on why some hospitals spend more than others. Some say high costs reflect an out-of-control medical marketplace. Others say costs are higher in cities because the poor need more care and the rich demand it.
To examine medical costs in different parts of California, enter an address in The Times database below (e.g. 200 N. Spring St. Los Angeles or Eureka or 90210). You'll find a local map showing the tab run up by patients seen at nearby hospitals on one of the most costly bills: Medicare insurance for the chronically ill in the last two years of life.
Find nearest hospitals
The average expense in L.A. County was $84,179 per patient. By comparison, the national figure was $46,412. Total inpatient and outpatient costs —including physician visits, home healthcare and medical equipment—are attributed to the hospital at which patients received the most care.
You can also find a set of lists that rank California hospitals along a number of statistics that experts use to analyze where large amounts of healthcare money get spent. They are highest Medicare spending, most days in hospital, most physician visits and highest percentage of specialists.
