AHA Blasts Rand Pricing Report As Inaccurate

A RAND Corporation report out last week found employer health plans pay an average 224% more than Medicare prices and suggest the information could help both employers and federal and state policymakers take steps to reduce spending. But the American Hospital Association says the study relies on incomplete data and ignores geographic variations. AHA also says the results prove that Medicare underpays for services and linking commercial costs to the federal rates would exacerbate hospitals’ financial challenges. The RAND report...