Charted: How the cost of 6 common procedures varies by setting

Costs for six common medical procedures in hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) were notably higher than in physicians’ offices or ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), according to research released by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA).

Cost-control strategy: On-site and near-site clinics

How HOPD costs compare to ASCs

For the research, BCBSA looked at PPO commercial claims data for roughly 133 million people between 2017 and 2022, or between 2014 and 2022 for office visits. The researchers specifically looked at six procedures:

• Cataract surgery
• Chest X-ray
• Clinic visits
• Colonoscopy (diagnostic and screening)
• Ear tympanostomy
• Mammography

They found that allowed costs...