More than nine out of 10 hospitals charge at least $30,000 for joint replacement surgery — one of the most common inpatient procedures — and one out of six hospitals charges $90,000 or more, according to an Axios analysis of 2016 federal health care data. Researchers analyzed spreadsheets of hospital charges and Medicare payments, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services posts annually. They found that for joint replacements, like hip and knee surgeries, prices are still all over the map. However, Medicare pays less than $13,000 on average for a joint replacement.
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