Heart attack, with complications in North Carolina
MS-DRG 281: Acute myocardial infarction, discharged alive with cc
$35,380typical hospital bill
$7,973typical amount paid
$6,189–$14,008range paid across 37 hospitals
North Carolina hospitals billed Medicare a typical $35,380 for this stay in 2024, about 4.4 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)
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.