So if you were concerned about health-care costs, you could move to Minnesota, where the costs of care are documented pretty clearly.
Using the Minnesota HealthScores, you can find out pretty quickly that a Cesarean section can run from $4,348 in Rochester to $,2498 in Woodbury.
Or, know this: the cost of a colonoscopy in Minneapolis ranges from $402 to $627. In Rochester, the cost ranges from $1,177 to $1,354.
In Rochester, aspiration or injection of corticosteroids into a major joint can run from $157 to $204; in Minneapolis, it’s $95 to $124.
How can this be so easy?
Minnesota has made a commitment, via MN Community Measurement, to track data and reveal it publicly: “Our reports provide information about the care provided in clinics (doctor’s offices), medical groups and hospitals throughout Minnesota. HealthScores was developed by MN Community Measurement, an independent non-profit community organization.”
The site cautions: “Total health care costs are a product of the amount paid for a service and how many services are used. Here we show the payment amount for physician services, which includes how much a health plan pays for a procedure or office visit plus what the health plan tells the physician to collect as a copayment from the patient. The amount you’ll pay depends on the details of your health plan coverage. Please talk to member services at your health plan for specific details. The contact information is on your insurance card.”
That of course is true, but what would happen if we called the provider in Minnesota, offered to pay cash, and set up an appointment….and then flew to Minneapolis or Rochester, both lovely places, for a vacation and a cortisone shot?
