Abstract
A pilot study was undertaken of the medical fees charged for Pap smears for 59 randomly selected practices in North Carolina. The practices consisted of generalist physicians from different specialties and in different geographic locations. There was a sevenfold variability in charges for new patient visits for Pap smears. Geographic location, specialty, and duration of the visit for the Pap smear do not appear to affect the level of fees charged. More extensive and thorough study of charges for cervical cancer screening would be useful, since most cost-effectiveness studies do not take into account the complexity and variability of such charges. The wide variation in charges for Pap smears is relevant to women as consumers of care and the quality of these screening services by generalist physicians.
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