Some hospitals charge vastly more for same care

FILE - In this April 12, 2013 file photo, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington before the House Ways and Means Committee hearing on President Barack Obama's budget proposal for fiscal year 2014, and the HHS. Hospitals within the same city sometimes charge tens of thousands of dollars more for the same procedure, figures the government released for the first time Wednesday show. The list sheds light on the mystery of just how high a hospital bill might go and whether it's cheaper to get that care somewhere else. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — Hospitals within the same city sometimes charge tens of thousands of dollars more for the same treatment, according to figures the government released publicly for the first time Wednesday. The federal list sheds new light on the mystery of just how high a hospital bill might go — and whether it's cheaper for uninsured patients to get the care somewhere else.