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A Bill Of Health That Doesn't Add Up
TAMPA - Humana, one of the nation's largest health insurers, says it has to pay about $90,000, including doctor bills, each time a member has a heart bypass operation at Brandon Regional Hospital.
If the patient had the same procedure at Tampa General Hospital, the insurer says it would pay about $45,000 - half as much as at Brandon.
The company would pay even less for the same surgery at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg: $30,450.
The price difference may be surprising, but it is common, according to a comparison of costs in the Tampa Bay area based on data Humana allowed the Tribune to review.
What may be more surprising, though, is that paying high prices does not guarantee the best treatment.