US Health Care Costs

Lung infection, with complications in North Carolina

MS-DRG 178: Respiratory infections and inflammations with cc

$31,035typical hospital bill
$8,324typical amount paid
$6,850–$16,569range paid across 37 hospitals

North Carolina hospitals billed Medicare a typical $31,035 for this stay in 2024, about 3.7 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 HospitalCary35$42,118$6,850
Iredell Memorial Hospital IncStatesville26$39,431$6,980
Rex HospitalRaleigh83$26,289$7,051
Unc Health NashRocky Mount24$28,937$7,359
Pardee Hospital Henderson CountyHendersonville16$36,085$7,369
Novant Health Brunswick Medical CenterSupply18$28,663$7,500
Johnston HealthSmithfield41$31,753$7,523
Firsthealth Moore Regional HospitalPinehurst62$45,202$7,623
Atrium Health PinevilleCharlotte48$43,034$7,664
Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeAsheville14$31,035$7,697
Atrium Health ClevelandShelby28$36,301$7,909
Novant Health Huntersville Medical CenterHuntersville18$29,332$8,051
Wilkes Regional Medical CenterNorth Wilkesboro22$29,330$8,093
Novant Health Forsyth Medical CenterWinston-Salem41$26,197$8,113
Novant Health Matthews Medical CenterMatthews14$37,492$8,148
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington24$25,086$8,177
Unc Health Care WayneGoldsboro19$26,587$8,192
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical CenterCharlotte11$37,754$8,303
Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern20$27,798$8,324
Caromont Regional Medical CenterGastonia41$41,390$8,330
High Point Regional Health SystemHigh Point18$31,054$8,418
Alamance Regional Medical CenterBurlington14$21,400$8,468
Atrium Health UnionMonroe21$41,207$8,745
Carolinas Medical Center-NortheastConcord41$34,637$8,809
Carteret General HospitalMorehead City22$20,643$8,815
Atrium Health LincolnLincolnton16$30,698$9,186
Cape Fear Valley Medical CenterFayetteville11$22,933$9,190
Duke Regional HospitalDurham18$24,317$9,243
The Moses H. Cone Memorial HospitalGreensboro33$23,555$9,364
Watauga Medical CenterBoone16$25,682$9,411
Wakemed, Raleigh CampusRaleigh52$31,891$9,415
Ecu Health Medical CenterGreenville48$24,916$10,231
Southeastern Regional Medical CenterLumberton16$24,153$11,162
Duke University HospitalDurham52$45,219$14,147
Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte27$55,361$14,552
Unc HospitalsChapel Hill52$31,977$14,949
North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem20$34,629$16,569

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.