US Health Care Costs

Bowel obstruction, with complications in North Dakota

MS-DRG 389: Gastrointestinal obstruction with cc

$19,730typical hospital bill
$6,472typical amount paid
$6,149–$7,309range paid across 6 hospitals

North Dakota hospitals billed Medicare a typical $19,730 for this stay in 2024, about 3.0 times what was actually paid. Medicare's payment depends mostly on the hospital's location and teaching role; the bill depends on the hospital's own price list, so bills vary far more than payments.

Billed (list price)Actually paid (Medicare + patient)

HospitalCityMedicare staysBilledPaid
Essentia HealthFargo17$15,846$6,149
Sanford Medical Center BismarckBismarck16$17,776$6,203
Chi St Alexius HealthBismarck11$17,692$6,225
Trinity HospitalsMinot19$21,684$6,720
Altru HospitalGrand Forks17$21,741$6,768
Sanford Medical Center FargoFargo38$22,082$7,309

Medicare: CMS, 2024 (hospitals with 11 or more Medicare stays). Cash and insurer prices: hospitals' own price files, where read; insurer figures are commercial plans only, median and 10th–90th percentile across plans.