Kathryn Thomsen

Costs Saved in Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program

Results of a two-year study, conducted by Portland State University, revealed an excellent prognosis for the Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) program.

Jan 20, 2017

Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Program is Deemed a Transformative and Cost-Saving Success

Oregon’s Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) program encouraged more use of primary care (rather than more costly specialty care services) saving patients an estimated total of $240 million in medical expenses between 2012 and 2014.

Jan 20, 2017
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Hospitals and Imaging Centers Reveal Wide Price Variations for CT Scans

Patient charges for abdomen and pelvis CT scans at Oregon hospitals are as much as three times more than at imaging centers within the same region. Dramatic price differences are also found both between facility types and within the same location.

Nov 30, 2016
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LEGACY EMANUEL MEDICAL CENTER

Spike in Hospital Pharmacy Charges for Major Joint Replacements

Half of Oregon’s hospitals increased daily pharmacy charges for major joint replacements by 10 percent or more between 2014 and 2015. A third of these hospitals hiked daily pharmacy charges for this common inpatient procedure between 20 to 109 percent during the same time period.

Nov 11, 2016
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Oregon’s Ambulatory Surgery Centers Reveal Large Cost Variations

Geographic regions may be responsible for some of these variations, according to Chris Skagen, JD MELP, executive director of the Oregon Ambulatory Surgery Center Association.

Aug 23, 2016
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Lifesaving Opioid Overdose Antidote Drug, Naloxone, Continues Upward Pricing Spiral

Oregon hospitals join ranks contributing to naloxone price hikes while lawmakers scrutinize drug company no-holds-barred pricing strategies. Nearly 60 percent of Oregon’s hospitals have recently increased prices of naloxone – an opioid overdose antidote drug – by more than 10 percent. Five of these hospitals hiked the price of the drug ranging from 100 to 300 percent in 2014 compared to the previous year.

Jun 30, 2016
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Cost of Head and Brain CT Scans at Hospitals Through the Roof

The cost of a head or brain CT scan performed at one of Oregon’s hospitals tops the charts at $2,162 – nearly double the $1,130 average price. This compares to the $275 average price of the service at a testing center, and $148 at a doctors office.

Jun 1, 2016
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Oregon Ranks Among Highest in Healthcare Costs

Out of 162 basic medical services analyzed in a national study, Oregon ranked near the top for high costs with only seven states more expensive. Oregon scored 34 percent above the national average for a majority of basic healthcare services performed.

May 6, 2016
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Hospital X-Ray Costs Sky-High Compared to Physician Offices

The median costs for chest x-rays conducted at Oregon hospitals were four times as high as those performed at physician’s offices with the highest cost difference tipping the scale at 22 times more expensive.

Apr 18, 2016
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