Cardiac catheterizations: average inpatient charges, 1998

In 1998 the average change for an impatient cardiac catheterization (CC)was $12,450 among 13,922 group health insured over age 30. Among the 29 states in which at least 150,CCs were performed, the average total charge ranged from $24,000 in California, which was 93 percent above the U.S. norm, to just over one-third of this total in Iowa ($8,810). The second highest average charge was reported in Texas ($20,140, 62 percent above the norm) and the second lowest was in Maryland ($11,420, 8 percent below). On average, the hospital proportion of the total CC charges accounted for 80 percent but ranged from 86 percent in California to 71 percent in Maryland. Physician fees averaged $2,450 across the country and ranged from $3,830 in Texas (56 percent above in average) to $2,140 in Iowa (13 percent below the norm). Length to stay averaged 3.2 days, with patients in Iowa remaining in the hospital for 5.6 days and those in Washington 2.9 days. Per diem costs averaged $3,850 and were the highest in California, $6,470 (68 percent above the average) and $1,570 in Iowa (59 percent below).