US Health Care Costs

Lung infection, with major complications in North Carolina

MS-DRG 177: Respiratory infections and inflammations with mcc

$42,397typical hospital bill
$12,882typical amount paid
$9,737–$25,201range paid across 71 hospitals

North Carolina hospitals billed Medicare a typical $42,397 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
Novant Health Ballantyne Medical CenterCharlotte26$40,491$9,737
Duke Health Lake Norman HospitalMooresville16$53,674$10,894
Wakemed, Cary HospitalCary88$45,573$11,118
Pardee Hospital Henderson CountyHendersonville33$33,961$11,149
Caldwell Memorial HospitalLenoir15$26,528$11,485
Frye Regional Medical CenterHickory40$93,264$11,499
Iredell Memorial Hospital IncStatesville70$49,299$11,576
Northern Regional HospitalMount Airy52$18,965$11,724
Rex HospitalRaleigh144$42,333$11,778
Unc Health NashRocky Mount49$35,704$11,779
Harris Regional HospitalSylva35$50,998$11,837
Ecu Health North HospitalRoanoke Rapids16$34,771$11,914
Haywood Regional Medical CenterClyde40$44,846$11,964
AdventHealth HendersonvilleHendersonville42$34,215$12,018
Firsthealth Moore Regional HospitalPinehurst152$70,046$12,069
Columbus Regional Healthcare SystemWhiteville21$38,350$12,073
Novant Health Matthews Medical CenterMatthews58$46,251$12,089
Lexington Memorial Hospital IncLexington21$37,852$12,134
Johnston HealthSmithfield68$49,454$12,215
Unc Lenoir Health CareKinston48$23,969$12,265
Atrium Health UnionMonroe87$64,013$12,280
Novant Health Rowan Medical CenterSalisbury50$41,945$12,338
Scotland Memorial HospitalLaurinburg32$47,740$12,388
Atrium Health ClevelandShelby66$56,194$12,447
Rutherford Regional Medical CenterRutherfordton14$64,533$12,478
Hugh Chatham Memorial HospitalElkin20$33,219$12,563
Novant Health Brunswick Medical CenterSupply35$42,066$12,586
Novant Health Huntersville Medical CenterHuntersville51$48,992$12,621
Catawba Valley Medical CenterHickory41$36,349$12,630
Vidant Duplin HospitalKenansville15$35,055$12,713
Stanly Regional Medical CenterAlbemarle24$64,579$12,736
High Point Regional Health SystemHigh Point42$42,397$12,738
Atrium Health PinevilleCharlotte121$70,810$12,748
Duke Health Raleigh HospitalRaleigh19$36,068$12,802
Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeAsheville127$42,891$12,850
Vidant Roanoke Chowan HospitalAhoskie13$26,998$12,882
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical CenterCharlotte43$49,806$12,885
Caromont Regional Medical CenterGastonia85$68,272$12,967
Novant Health Forsyth Medical CenterWinston-Salem186$39,295$12,996
Central Carolina HospitalSanford18$65,685$13,030
Alamance Regional Medical CenterBurlington44$30,464$13,045
Randolph HospitalAsheboro19$63,492$13,167
Granville Health SystemsOxford11$37,578$13,309
Onslow Memorial HospitalJacksonville38$39,458$13,347
Wilson Medical CenterWilson31$72,570$13,571
Carolinas Medical Center-NortheastConcord111$59,813$13,715
Blue Ridge Healthcare Hospitals, IncMorganton58$51,022$13,781
Duke Regional HospitalDurham73$32,969$13,807
Wilkes Regional Medical CenterNorth Wilkesboro22$44,434$13,875
Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern152$39,402$14,164
Carteret General HospitalMorehead City71$22,705$14,183
Sentara Albemarle Medical CenterElizabeth City37$34,561$14,245
Wakemed, Raleigh CampusRaleigh119$42,405$14,283
The Moses H. Cone Memorial HospitalGreensboro138$37,264$14,313
Cape Fear Valley Medical CenterFayetteville101$43,401$14,333
Vidant Edgecombe HospitalTarboro23$33,901$14,363
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington198$43,322$14,426
Novant Health Thomasville Medical CenterThomasville22$33,413$14,629
Atrium Health LincolnLincolnton43$49,087$15,055
Unc Health Care WayneGoldsboro74$42,266$15,062
The McDowell HospitalMarion20$31,159$15,166
Atrium Health University CityCharlotte21$73,689$15,587
Betsy Johnson Regional HospitalDunn38$30,418$15,747
Watauga Medical CenterBoone34$35,580$15,777
Ecu Health Medical CenterGreenville114$44,877$16,806
Southeastern Regional Medical CenterLumberton36$39,124$18,262
Sampson Regional Medical CenterClinton11$27,911$18,852
Duke University HospitalDurham126$58,620$23,014
Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte93$86,654$23,508
Unc HospitalsChapel Hill101$50,625$24,411
North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem75$62,667$25,201

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.