Medicare may not be getting its money's worth at most hospitals in Florida, judging by a new analysis of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data by Kaiser Health News.
An interactive chart lists the average spending per patient adjusted for the relative level of illness of the patient population. The national median is $17,988, but only 24 Florida hospitals cost the federal program that much or less.
In Florida, spending varied among hospitals even in the same geographical region. For example, at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, average spending was $17,628. About 12 miles away at Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, it was $21,046.
Two hospitals that are both part of the Broward Health system in Fort Lauderdale also differed in cost; Imperial Point Medical Center cost Medicare $20,417 per case, but nine miles away at Broward General Medical Center, spending was in line with the national average. A response from Broward Health was not immediately available Thursday morning.
Here are the Florida facilties with the lowest and highest average spending per patient, according to the Kaiser analysis:
Lowest:
$14,570:
Tri County Hospital – Williston, Williston
$16,009:
Jay Hospital, Jay
$16,549:
Baptist Medical Center – Nassau, Fernandina Beach
$16,729:
Lakeside Medical Center, Belle Glade
$17,089:
Jackson Hospital, Marianna
Highest:
$20,147:
Douglas Gardens Hospital, Miami
Northwest Medical Center, Margate
Orange Park Medical Center, Orange Park
Columbia Hospital, West Palm Beach
Palm Springs General Hospital, Hialeah
Palmetto General Hospital, Hialeah
Broward Health Imperial Point Medical Center, Fort Lauderdale
Florida Hospital Carrollwood, Tampa
Delray Medical Center, Delray Beach
$20,326:
Good Samaritan Medical Center, West Palm Beach
Bayfront Medical Center Inc, St. Petersburg, FL
Manatee Memorial Hospital, Bradenton
St Vincent's Medical Center Southside, Jacksonville
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, Bradenton
Aventura Hospital And Medical Center, Aventura
$20,506:
Westside Regional Medical Center, Plantation
University Hospital And Medical Center , Tamarac
St Petersburg General Hospital, St. Petersburg
Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami
Mease Countryside Hospital, Safety Harbor
Mease Hospital Dunedin, Dunedin
$20, 686:
Palms Of Pasadena Hospital, St. Petersburg
West Boca Medical Center, Boca Raton
Bethesda Memorial Hospital, Boynton Beach
Morton Plant North Bay Hospital, New Port Richey
Medical Center Of Trinity, Trinity
$21,046:
Baptist Medical Center Beaches, Jacksonville Beach
Edward White Hospital, St. Petersburg
Memorial Hospital Jacksonville, Jacksonville
North Shore Medical Center, Miami
St Mary's Medical Center, West Palm Beach
Editor's note: although analysis by Kaiser listed Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital in Miami as the lowest spender at $14,390, it is a tertiary-care center for eye problems and is an anamoly.
