Hospital Billing Varies Wildly, But The Poor and Uninsured Seem To End Up Paying More

Hospital Billing Varies Wildly, Government Data Shows by Barry Meier, Jo Craven McGinty and Julie Creswell.  The New York Times.  May 8, 2013.

(1)  The report shows that hospital charge up to ____ times the rate Medicare typically reimburses.

(2)  True or False:  Hospital in same area or city do not show wide variations in charges.

(3)  What are some factors cited by government officials to explain some of the variation?  What are some of the factors cited by hospital officials?

(4)  What group of patients is affected by the amounts hospitals charge and why are they affected?

(5)  Hospitals are known to ___________ any difference between what it charged and what Medicare paid.

(6)  How does rate negotiations between hospitals and insurance companies impact hospital charge rates?

(7)  An leader of a large insurance association was quoted by the article that while insurance premiums are often the focus of public policy discussions   ____________________ are largely ignored.

(8) A hospital association executive cited a trend toward paying ________________.