A Tool To Help You Learn About the Quality & Cost of Health Care
http://hcqcc.hcf.state.ma.us/Content...dFamilies.aspx

A very detailed look at quality and cost of health care.


The quality and cost of care vary by hospital or provider. This website is a way to learn more about Massachusetts health care providers.

Someday you, or someone you care about, may need to decide which hospital or health care provider to go to for a specific procedure or condition. You can make a more informed choice when you have access to data and can discuss it with your doctor.

Higher cost does not mean better quality. It is important to know about both no matter whether you or your health plan pays for your medical care.

The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost website can help. It offers easy-to-use, up-to-date, accurate information about the quality and cost of health care in Massachusetts. You can use this website to find cost and quality ratings for health care providers across the state. You can also search these ratings by location, provider (with a standard "alphabetic" search) or medical condition or procedure. Information comes from state and federal databases as well as other independent and trusted sources.

This website can help whether you have had health insurance for many years, are newly insured, or pay for your care out of your own pocket. Its goal is to improve health care quality through transparency and comparative quality information. The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council designed and oversees this website.

You can use it to answer questions such as:

* My doctor sees patients at two different hospitals or clinics, which one should I choose?
* How does care at my local hospital compare to the care at a large medical center?
* How does this hospital or clinic compare to others for the procedure I need?
* How does the price of care compare at different providers?
* I just moved here. Where can I find the best health care?

This website is a tool to help you learn about the quality and cost of health care, and make decisions that are right for you and your family. It is meant to be used along with talking to your doctor. Together, you can use this information to choose health care that best suits your needs.

Another health data source is HealthCare Bluebook
Healthcare Blue Book

http://www.healthcarebluebook.com/pa...riceRsrcs.aspx