Study Finds Private Insurers Pay Hospitals Way More Than Medicare

Hospitals with Dayton’s two major health systems charge private insurance plans two to more than four times what Medicare paid for the same outpatient services, according to a new study.

Miami Valley Hospital, part of Premier Health, charged private health plans 295 percent of what Medicare paid for the same outpatient services.

Kettering Medical Center, part of Kettering Health Network, charged private insurers 287 percent of what Medicare paid for outpatient services.

The price differences were revealed in a study by RAND Corp., with funding help from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which provided a rare look into the prices that employers and private insurance plans negotiate with hospitals.