California hospitals: Prices rising rapidly, but quality varies

Kaiser Health News writer Jordan Rau, in collaboration with the Bay Area News Group, examines the cost and quality of hospitals in the Bay Area of California. "Hospital rates in the Bay Area now are among California's most expensive, propelled upward by prominent hospitals and networks, including Sutter Health, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and John Muir Health, according to private and government data. ... In many cases, hospitals are able to keep raising prices beyond inflation because their sizes or reputations give them clout in negotiating rates with insurers, researchers say. Yet high prices don't always equate with superior care" (Rau, 10/17). Read the entire story, check out a related interactive graphic and see how KHN obtained data for the story.

This story is part of an occasional KHN series on hospitals.