Legal Disclaimer & Hospital Data Correction Policy

1. Informational & Public-Record Purpose Only

BaseRate Health compiles, standardizes, and benchmarks public healthcare records published pursuant to federal Hospital Price Transparency regulations (45 CFR § 180), CMS Medicare fee schedules, CMS Hospital Care Compare, IRS Form 990 Schedule H filings, CMS NPPES registries, and U.S. Census American Community Survey data. All comparisons, multiples, and modeled BaseRate ranges represent constitutionally protected analysis and commentary on matters of public concern derived from government and federally mandated disclosures.

2. Not Medical, Legal, or Financial Advice

Nothing on BaseRate Health — including facility profiles, clinical quality stars, infection ratios, 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) charity-care summaries, or interactive Bill X-Ray outputs — constitutes medical advice, clinical care-setting recommendations, legal counsel, or financial advice. Never delay emergency care based on pricing data. Always consult your physician regarding appropriate clinical care settings and contact your hospital and health plan directly for binding benefit determinations and written Good Faith Estimates under the No Surprises Act.

3. Clinical Scope, Billing Units & 501(r) Limitations

• Facility vs. Professional Fees: Hospital machine-readable files primarily report hospital facility charges; independent physician, surgeon, anesthesiologist, and radiologist professional fees may be billed separately.
• Inpatient MS-DRG vs. Outpatient CPT Scope: Inpatient MS-DRG bundles encompass multi-day room, nursing, pharmacy, and acute postoperative care, whereas outpatient CPT rates reflect ambulatory facility services for clinically eligible patients.
• HCPCS Specialty Drug Units: Outpatient J-code and HCPCS medication rates reflect per-unit dosage increments (such as per mg or per ml), not necessarily complete multi-vial treatment regimens.
• 501(r) Amounts Generally Billed (AGB): Where hospital-specific CMS HCRIS filings are matched, we display that hospital-specific benchmark; where unavailable, we clearly label the illustrative national nonprofit peer median (`36.3%` of gross charges). Each 501(c)(3) hospital’s written Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) governs actual eligibility and AGB look-back percentages.