County Price & Affordability Audit
2 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Pop. 56,088
$85,296 Median Income
La Plata County, CO Hospital Rates
Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in La Plata County.
Pillar 1 · The BaseRate™ CompositeHow 1.00× Fair BaseRate Works: Raw price averages unfairly penalize hospitals in high-wage cities or trauma centers treating sicker patients. We adjust for local CMS hospital wage levels and patient complexity first. A 1.00× score means right at the fair price average, 0.85× means 15% cheaper than fair market, and 1.30× means 30% above fair market.Good Deal · Below Fair Market
0.87×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price13% Below Fair Price
1.00× (center of the bar) is the U.S. fair price average after accounting for local hospital wages and patient complexity. Left of center (<1.00×) is below fair price; right of center (>1.00×) is above fair price.
Typical commercial prices here are 13% below the fair benchmark (0.87×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
Pillar 2 · VeriRate™ Data TrustHow VeriRate™ (0–100) Works: Hospitals are legally required to publish machine-readable price files, but some bury fake $0.01 numbers or omit cash discounts. VeriRate audits each file across 5 checks (hover any badge below to see what it tests).86/100 · Verified
86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited
File Completeness90Provenance (File Completeness): Checks whether the hospital published a complete, up-to-date machine-readable price file with valid CPT and MS-DRG billing codes instead of leaving blanks.
Price Logic88Coherence (Price Logic): Checks whether the hospital’s numbers make basic sense — e.g., self-pay cash price is lower than gross list price, with no fake $0.01 or $999,999 placeholder numbers.
Peer Alignment86Concordance (Peer Alignment): Checks whether reported prices sit in a realistic range compared to Medicare and nearby hospitals rather than wild 100× unit errors.
Clean Billing83Regularity (Clean Billing): Checks whether rates are structured consistently across procedures without erratic statistical spikes or hidden unbundled facility fees.
Real Cash Discount84Cash Honesty (Real Cash Discount): Checks whether the hospital offers a genuine self-pay cash discount that beats or matches commercial insurance rates instead of billing full sticker price.
Pillar 3 · La Plata County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in La Plata County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.2 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced2 of 2Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside La Plata County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$85.3k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in La Plata County ($85,296/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate9.5%Percentage of La Plata County residents without health insurance who rely on self-pay cash discounts and 501(r) nonprofit hospital financial assistance.
Local charity-care income cutoffs (200%–400% FPL): up to $31,920 (single) and $128,600 (family of 4) qualify for free or discounted hospital care.
County Hospital Pricing & Affordability Audit2 of 2 Local Hospitals Priced
La Plata County, CO Hospital Price & Affordability Summary
La Plata County, Colorado (pop. 56,088) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (2 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 0.87× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $85,296 median household income.
County Price Index: 0.87× Fair MarketMedian Income: $85,296/yr
Advantage
Best Value & Patient Protections in La Plata County
- 2 of 2 hospitals in La Plata County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC, Mercy Regional Medical Center).
- High-rated local clinical care: Mercy Regional Medical Center (5/5 CMS Stars).
- Under federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r), nonprofit hospitals must provide discounted Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) rates for La Plata County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout
Where La Plata County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)
- Hospital outpatient facility fees in La Plata County can add 1.8×–3.0× over freestanding imaging and surgery centers for the exact same CPT code.
- With a 9.5% local uninsured rate and $85,296 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 3.0 weeks of typical La Plata County family take-home pay.
- Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Colorado counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage100% Published
2 of 2 Hospitals
Includes Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC & Mercy Regional Medical Center.
Free Care Income Cutoff (200% FPL)Nonprofit 501(r) Rule
$31,920 – $64,300
Single ($31,920) to Family of 4 ($64,300) threshold for 100% free charity care.
Discounted Care Cutoff (400% FPL)AGB Billing Cap
Up to $128,600/yr
4-person household income cap qualifying for statutory AGB billing limits in La Plata County.
Colorado County Price & Affordability Heatmap
34 of 64 Counties with MRF Hospital Data
Colorado County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap
Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 64 counties in Colorado
<0.94× Affordable
0.94–1.06× Near Avg
1.06–1.20× Elevated
>1.20× High-Markup
El Paso County5hosps
1.11× Fair
Income $87k
Adams County5hosps
1.18× Fair
Income $91k
Denver County5hosps
1.22× Fair
Income $92k
Boulder County4hosps
1.16× Fair
Income $103k
Jefferson County3hosps
1.10× Fair
Income $108k
Mesa County3hosps
1.29× Fair
Income $71k
Larimer County3hosps
1.31× Fair
Income $91k
La Plata County2hosps
0.87× Fair
Income $85k
Douglas County2hosps
1.35× Fair
Income $146k
Arapahoe County2hosps
1.52× Fair
Income $97k
Morgan County2hosps
1.66× Fair
Income $75k
Phillips County2hosps
1.94× Fair
Income $60k
Chaffee County1hosp
0.35× Fair
Income $71k
Gunnison County1hosp
0.36× Fair
Income $77k
Rio Blanco County1hosp
0.74× Fair
Income $73k
Montrose County1hosp
0.83× Fair
Income $66k
Montezuma County1hosp
1.00× Fair
Income $63k
Pitkin County1hosp
1.00× Fair
Income $100k
Moffat County1hosp
1.00× Fair
Income $71k
Baca County1hosp
1.00× Fair
Income $40k
Routt County1hosp
1.05× Fair
Income $105k
Broomfield County1hosp
1.08× Fair
Income $121k
Weld County1hosp
1.15× Fair
Income $93k
Alamosa County1hosp
1.16× Fair
Income $51k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 64 total in Colorado
All Hospitals in La Plata County (2)
Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.
- Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC · Durango CMS CCN 060117 · 24/7 Emergency Services
- Mercy Regional Medical Center · Durango CMS CCN 060013 · 24/7 Emergency Services
Compare Procedure Prices Across All Colorado Hospitals
View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all Colorado facilities.