Somewhat surprisingly, the hospitals with the biggest markups were not those in America’s richest cities. No. 1 on the list: North Okaloosa Medical Center in the Florida Panhandle, about an hour outside Pensacola, the researchers said.

Twenty of the 50 priciest hospitals operate in Florida. The rest are in 12 other states. Overall, 76% of the top 50 are located in Southern states, according to the study.

The top four hospitals were North Okaloosa Medical Center (Florida), Carepoint Health-Bayonne Hospital (New Jersey), Bayfront Health Brooksville (Florida) and Paul B Hall Regional Medical Center (Kentucky).

The full list: North Okaloosa Medical Center (Florida), Carepoint Health-Bayonne Hospital (New Jersey), Bayfront Health Brooksville (Florida) and Paul B Hall Regional Medical Center (Kentucky), Chestnut Hill Hospital (Pennsylvania), Gadsden Regional Medical Center (Alabama), Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center (Florida), Orange Park Medical Center (Florida), Western Arizona Regional Medical Center (Arizona), Oak Hill Hospital (Florida), Texas General Hospital (Texas), Fort Walton Beach Medical Center (Florida), Easton Hospital (Pennsylvania), Brookwood Medical Center (Alabama), National Park Medical Center (Arkansas), St. Petersburg General Hospital (Florida), Crozer Chester Medical Center (Pennsylvania), Riverview Regional Medical Center (Alabama), Regional Hospital of Jackson (Tennessee), Sebastian River Medical Center (Florida), Brandywine Hospital (Pennsylvania), Osceola Regional Medical Center (Florida), Decatur Morgan Hospital – Parkway Campus (Alabama), Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma (Oklahoma), Gulf Coast Medical Center (Florida), South Bay Hospital (Florida), Fawcett Memorial Hospital (Florida), North Florida Regional Medical Center (Florida), Doctors Hospital of Manteca (California), Doctors Medical Center (California), Lawnwood Regional Medical Center & Heart Institute (Florida), Lakeway Regional Hospital (Tennessee), Brandon Regional Hospital (Florida), Hahnemann University Hospital (Pennsylvania), Phoenixville Hospital (Pennsylvania), Stringfellow Memorial Hospital (Alabama), Lehigh Regional Medical Center (Florida), Southside Regional Medical Center (Virginia), Twin Cities Hospital (Florida), Olympia Medical Center (California), Springs Memorial Hospital (South Carolina), Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point (Florida), Dallas Regional Medical Center (Texas), Lared Medical Center (Texas), Bayfront Health Dade City (Florida), Pottstown Memorial Medical Center (Pennsylvania), Dyersburg Regional Medical Center (Tennessee), South Texas Health System (Texas), Kendall Regional Medical Center (Florida), Lake Granbury Medical Center (Texas).

Even the average U.S. hospital charges its non-Medicare patients far more than for those on Medicare. Costs at the average hospital in 2012 were 3.4 times the amount allowed by Medicare. In other words, if the Medicare-allowed charge was $100, the average hospital charged uninsured patients $340. Hospitals among the top 50 in price charged $1,100.

Bai said what is needed to stop hospitals from charging exorbitant rates is pressure from state and federal legislators. Only two states, Maryland and West Virginia, regulate hospital markups. Federal law does not restrict hospital prices.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2015/07/19/the-50-hospitals-with-the-highest-cost-markups/#3efe82647aa0