💰 Why the Same Test Costs Different Amounts

Hospitals Set Their Own Rates

• Every hospital has a **chargemaster**, which is a master list of prices for every service or item they provide.
• These prices are not regulated by the government, so they vary wildly between facilities.
• A large teaching hospital often charges more than a community clinic to cover higher overhead costs.
• You are seeing the sticker price, which rarely reflects what you actually pay.