A Dexur analysis of Medicare claims data recorded the Medicare spending per beneficiary cost for metro Atlanta hospitals offering hip and knee replacement procedures.
The healthcare rankings authority examined hospitals that record more than 11 episodes of DRG 470, major joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity without major complication or comorbidity, during 2019.
Twenty-nine hospitals are included in the analysis, which is based on first-quarter 2020 data. The index hospitalization discharge rate was until December 2019 to accommodate the 30-day post-discharge period in calculating rehospitalization, skilled nursing facilities and home health agency costs.
Here are the five hospitals with the lowest average MSPB cost per episode:
Emory St. Joseph's Hospital
Number of episodes: 205
Average MSPB cost per episode: $13,906
Average index hospitalization cost per episode: $11,278
Average post-discharge cost per episode: $2,627
Northside Hospital Forsyth
Number of episodes: 466
Average MSPB cost per episode: $14,730
Average index hospitalization cost per episode: $12,635
Average post-discharge cost per episode: $2,094
Piedmont Atlanta Hospital
Number of episodes: 149
Average MSPB cost per episode: $15,221
Average index hospitalization cost per episode: $11,927
Average post-discharge cost per episode: $3,294
Emory Johns Creek Hospital
Number of episodes: 86
Average MSPB cost per episode: $16,695
Average index hospitalization cost per episode: $10,824
Average post-discharge cost per episode: $5,871
Eastside Medical Center
Number of episodes: 118
Average MSPB cost per episode: $17,131
Average index hospitalization cost per episode: $12,561
Average post-discharge cost per episode: $4,569