US Health Care Costs

Heart catheterization, with major complications in North Carolina

MS-DRG 286: Circulatory disorders except ami, with cardiac catheterization with mcc

$69,706typical hospital bill
$17,894typical amount paid
$13,599–$34,104range paid across 32 hospitals

North Carolina hospitals billed Medicare a typical $69,706 for this stay in 2024, about 3.9 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
Wakemed, Cary HospitalCary15$64,462$13,599
Novant Health Matthews Medical CenterMatthews23$70,812$14,200
Catawba Valley Medical CenterHickory17$65,219$14,689
Pardee Hospital Henderson CountyHendersonville12$40,108$15,123
Firsthealth Moore Regional HospitalPinehurst33$86,483$15,242
Frye Regional Medical CenterHickory18$117,966$15,399
Duke Health Raleigh HospitalRaleigh17$49,387$15,626
Johnston HealthSmithfield14$58,921$15,894
Unc Health NashRocky Mount29$58,971$15,953
Rex HospitalRaleigh69$48,324$16,122
Duke Regional HospitalDurham26$58,842$16,654
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical CenterCharlotte28$71,194$17,154
Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeAsheville64$87,708$17,309
Novant Health Huntersville Medical CenterHuntersville14$80,452$17,557
Wakemed, Raleigh CampusRaleigh53$72,382$17,648
Atrium Health UnionMonroe11$86,926$17,885
Unc Health Care WayneGoldsboro24$45,002$17,904
Carolinas Medical Center-NortheastConcord61$96,740$17,994
Cape Fear Valley Medical CenterFayetteville31$59,383$18,090
Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern28$49,087$18,192
Atrium Health PinevilleCharlotte25$103,314$18,327
Novant Health Forsyth Medical CenterWinston-Salem38$67,692$18,646
The Moses H. Cone Memorial HospitalGreensboro51$71,453$18,923
Alamance Regional Medical CenterBurlington14$65,372$19,072
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington80$68,458$19,178
Sentara Albemarle Medical CenterElizabeth City20$70,151$19,235
Caromont Regional Medical CenterGastonia33$92,381$19,543
Ecu Health Medical CenterGreenville68$58,190$21,675
Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte49$124,152$27,759
North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem26$69,262$28,791
Unc HospitalsChapel Hill42$95,675$34,050
Duke University HospitalDurham134$98,496$34,104

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.