Cost Ratio Report Guide
The Cost Ratio Report provides a detailed analysis of a hospital’s cost-to-charge ratio. This guide explains how to request a report and interpret its contents.
How to Request a Report
There are two primary methods for requesting a report, depending on whether you need the absolute latest data or a specific historical version.
Getting the Latest Report for a Fiscal Year
When you request a report using a hospital’s name and a fiscal year, our system automatically fetches the most recent version available. Hospitals sometimes refile reports due to audits or corrections, and this method ensures you are always working with the most up-to-date data.
This is the recommended approach for most analyses.
Examples:
- “Can you give me the cost ratio report for Kindred Hospital in Las Vegas for 2022?”
- “Generate a cost ratio report for provider number 123456 for fiscal year 2021.”
Getting a Specific Historical Report
If you need to reference a report exactly as it was filed at a specific point in time, you can use its unique report record number. This number identifies a precise submission and will not be updated if a newer version is filed.
This is useful for historical analysis or for comparing a specific filing against a newer one.
Example:
- “Show me the cost ratio report for report record number 770040.”
No matter which method you use, the assistant will generate the report in both PDF and CSV formats.
Understanding the Report
The generated PDF report is divided into three main sections:
1. Executive Summary
This section provides a high-level overview, including:
- Total Costs: The sum of all costs for the fiscal year.
- Total Charges: The sum of all charges billed to patients.
- Overall Cost-to-Charge Ratio: The hospital-wide ratio of costs to charges.
2. Category Analysis
Here, you’ll find a breakdown of costs, charges, and ratios by functional category (e.g., Inpatient Routine Services, Ancillary Services). This section includes:
- Pie Chart: Visualizing the proportion of total costs for each category.
- Bar Chart: Comparing the total costs and total charges for each category side-by-side.
- Ratio Chart: Displaying the calculated cost-to-charge ratio for each individual category.
3. Detailed Data
This final section presents a detailed table of every cost center, grouped by category. For each cost center, it lists the specific costs, charges, and the resulting cost-to-charge ratio, giving you a granular view of the hospital’s financial performance.