US Health Care Costs

Infection needing surgery, with major complications in North Carolina

MS-DRG 853: Infectious and parasitic diseases with o.r. procedures with mcc

$123,978typical hospital bill
$37,442typical amount paid
$29,406–$73,556range paid across 49 hospitals

North Carolina hospitals billed Medicare a typical $123,978 for this stay in 2024, about 3.3 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
Rutherford Regional Medical CenterRutherfordton13$91,750$29,406
Haywood Regional Medical CenterClyde14$110,846$29,783
Novant Health Rowan Medical CenterSalisbury17$104,131$30,058
Pardee Hospital Henderson CountyHendersonville20$94,794$30,684
Atrium Health UnionMonroe12$130,574$31,186
Frye Regional Medical CenterHickory17$236,372$31,691
Scotland Memorial HospitalLaurinburg12$87,599$31,758
Atrium Health University CityCharlotte13$141,319$31,878
Novant Health Huntersville Medical CenterHuntersville19$105,086$32,915
Novant Health Matthews Medical CenterMatthews25$123,663$33,036
Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals, IncMorganton12$130,620$33,141
Iredell Memorial Hospital IncStatesville17$123,978$33,211
High Point Regional Health SystemHigh Point17$122,379$33,374
Columbus Regional Healthcare SystemWhiteville12$85,422$33,984
Unc Lenoir Health CareKinston25$54,585$34,263
Firsthealth Moore Regional HospitalPinehurst48$162,354$34,512
Caromont Regional Medical CenterGastonia44$161,236$34,927
Carolinas Medical Center-NortheastConcord56$156,529$35,144
Atrium Health ClevelandShelby18$129,590$35,342
Harris Regional HospitalSylva14$157,428$35,445
AdventHealth HendersonvilleHendersonville21$103,872$35,993
Catawba Valley Medical CenterHickory19$89,904$36,059
Maria Parham Medical CenterHenderson15$239,108$36,477
Novant Health Brunswick Medical CenterSupply15$111,534$36,696
Johnston HealthSmithfield12$99,260$37,442
Duke Regional HospitalDurham25$116,528$37,457
Alamance Regional Medical CenterBurlington27$101,311$37,536
Wakemed, Cary HospitalCary26$152,275$37,923
Unc Health NashRocky Mount27$137,338$38,066
The Moses H. Cone Memorial HospitalGreensboro67$105,064$38,558
Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeAsheville127$191,862$38,801
Carteret General HospitalMorehead City12$48,664$40,076
Rex HospitalRaleigh63$130,384$40,191
Unc Health Care WayneGoldsboro18$75,060$40,838
Cape Fear Valley Medical CenterFayetteville88$111,897$40,868
Novant Health Forsyth Medical CenterWinston-Salem73$144,200$42,184
Sentara Albemarle Medical CenterElizabeth City27$109,839$42,459
Wakemed, Raleigh CampusRaleigh59$185,144$42,659
Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern55$92,418$43,196
Atrium Health PinevilleCharlotte53$207,833$43,584
Wilson Medical CenterWilson23$187,128$44,530
Southeastern Regional Medical CenterLumberton15$89,376$45,611
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical CenterCharlotte36$208,881$45,994
Ecu Health Medical CenterGreenville90$121,828$46,243
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington113$174,369$47,432
North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem46$195,831$57,077
Duke University HospitalDurham76$190,929$59,702
Unc HospitalsChapel Hill37$188,309$66,602
Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte53$317,084$73,556

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.