US Health Care Costs

Heart attack, with complications in Georgia

MS-DRG 281: Acute myocardial infarction, discharged alive with cc

$46,706typical hospital bill
$8,560typical amount paid
$6,350–$15,109range paid across 42 hospitals

Georgia hospitals billed Medicare a typical $46,706 for this stay in 2024, about 5.5 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
Wellstar Paulding Medical CenterHiram14$68,145$6,350
St Joseph's Hospital - SavannahSavannah15$37,513$6,369
Saint Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta, IncAtlanta13$39,147$6,383
St Francis Hospital- Emory HealthcareColumbus22$32,908$6,639
Piedmont Augusta HospitalAugusta22$32,888$6,842
Emory Houston Hospital Warner RobinsWarner Robins22$32,853$7,006
East Georgia Regional Medical CenterStatesboro21$47,493$7,036
Doctors HospitalAugusta13$91,328$7,261
Piedmont Fayette HospitalFayetteville13$50,335$7,635
Northside Hospital ForsythCumming13$92,023$7,661
Sgmc HealthValdosta27$33,178$7,753
Piedmont Newnan Hospital, IncNewnan22$52,955$7,838
AdventHealth RedmondRome64$73,977$7,944
Savannah Health Services LLC Dba Memorial Health University Medical CenterSavannah23$29,995$8,003
Wellstar North Fulton Medical CenterRoswell18$44,024$8,067
Piedmont Henry HospitalStockbridge43$41,148$8,127
Memorial Health Meadows HospitalVidalia11$40,589$8,340
Southeast Georgia Health System- Brunswick CampusBrunswick16$24,262$8,388
Wellstar West Georgia Medical CenterLagrange11$71,202$8,430
Piedmont Rockdale HospitalConyers21$39,366$8,438
Piedmont Columbus Regional MidtownColumbus22$33,583$8,556
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical CenterAthens29$45,935$8,563
Northside Hospital CherokeeCanton22$107,985$8,653
Atrium Health Floyd Medical CenterRome19$38,035$8,687
Wellstar Spalding Medical CenterGriffin18$56,097$8,780
St Mary's HospitalAthens14$30,008$8,799
Memorial Satilla HealthWaycross11$69,726$8,919
Phoebe Putney Memorial HospitalAlbany13$38,357$8,922
Hamilton Medical CenterDalton11$40,181$8,992
Wellstar Douglas Medical CenterDouglasville12$66,092$9,150
Coliseum Medical Centers, Llc, DbaMacon20$47,477$9,200
Emory Decatur HospitalDecatur12$34,222$9,460
Atrium Health Navicent the Medical CenterMacon22$48,534$9,618
Wellstar Cobb Medical CenterAustell19$50,694$9,645
Piedmont Eastside Medical CenterSnellville13$65,728$9,725
Tanner Medical Center - CarrolltonCarrollton29$37,512$9,791
Tanner Medical Center Villa RicaVilla Rica14$40,678$9,805
Northeast Georgia Medical Center, IncGainesville63$56,928$9,934
Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical CenterMarietta31$64,463$10,687
Piedmont Hospital, IncAtlanta29$52,585$10,735
Northside HospitalAtlanta15$75,416$11,421
Wellstar Mcg Health, Affiliated with Med ColAugusta11$64,475$15,109

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.