Non-shoppable health care ser- vices: inpatient hospitalizations

Across the DRGs studied, the average allowed amounts varied, ranging from around $5,000 (DRG 312 in 2010; Table 1) to over $30,000 (DRG 247 in 2014; Table 2). In the population covered by ESI, the average allowed amount for each DRG studied was Growing interest in health care price transparency has led to research focused on the impact of consumers “shopping” for health care.1 Less attention has been paid to the spending associated with health care services that are not shoppable either due to the type or the urgency of the services needed. However, to fully understand the impact to the health care system of shopping for care, it is necessary to understand the magnitudes of nonshoppable services relative to other health care services. In this data brief HCCI reports on the average spending and length of stay (LOS) of a set of inpatient hospital admissions that are non-shoppable.