Southwest Memorial Hospital
1311 N Mildred Rd, Cortez, CO 81321 · 98 Priced Procedures · 73% Patient Recommendation
Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
5-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.00× fair market pricing.
Aligned Regional Benchmark Peer
Southwest Memorial Hospital prices shoppable and inpatient services (4.8× to 4.7× Medicare, divergence 0.98×) in alignment with regional hospital peers (1.00× Fair BaseRate). Reviewing plan-specific negotiated rates and cash discounts helps lock in the lowest out-of-pocket tier.
Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)
- Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 0.78× the peer BaseRate benchmark
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 92% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
- 4-Star CMS clinical rating with 73% patient recommendation (80/100 safety score)
- IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (92.6% AGB cap)
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Outpatient surgery & OR suites carry a 3.2× markup over Medicare rates
- Commercial insurance median sits at 1.00× Fair BaseRate (4.8× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
- Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 1.28×) jump +28% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 1.00×)
- Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 7.3× Medicare (30¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.
Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.
Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.
Procedure Prices at Southwest Memorial Hospital
High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 98 published procedures.
| Procedure & Billing Code | This Hospital | vs. Fair |
|---|---|---|
| Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair CPT Code: 29881 | $8,475 | 2.5× |
| Inguinal hernia repair CPT Code: 49505 | $6,899 | 1.9× |
| Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) CPT Code: 47562 | $6,042 | 1.0× |
| Cataract surgery with lens implant CPT Code: 66984 | $2,597 | 1.0× |
| MRI, brain (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70553 | $2,507 | 4.9× |
| Sleep study (overnight, in lab) CPT Code: 95810 | $2,279 | 2.2× |
| Colonoscopy (diagnostic) CPT Code: 45378 | $2,087 | 2.1× |
| Trauma team activation HCPCS Code: G0390 | $1,884 | 1.3× |
| MRI, brain (no contrast) CPT Code: 70551 | $1,807 | 5.3× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast) CPT Code: 74177 | $1,750 | 3.9× |
| Upper endoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 43239 | $1,502 | 1.5× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (no contrast) CPT Code: 74176 | $1,407 | 4.6× |
| MRI, lower back (no contrast) CPT Code: 72148 | $1,422 | 4.2× |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 45380 | $1,379 | 1.1× |
| CT scan, head (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70470 | $1,261 | 4.9× |
| CT scan, head (with contrast) CPT Code: 70460 | $1,083 | 4.5× |
| CT scan, neck (cervical spine) CPT Code: 72125 | $1,012 | 6.0× |
| CT scan, pelvis CPT Code: 72192 | $928 | 5.7× |
| CT scan, sinuses CPT Code: 70486 | $935 | 5.6× |
| CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) CPT Code: 72131 | $945 | 5.6× |
| Blood transfusion CPT Code: 36430 | $882 | 1.8× |
| CT scan, head (no contrast) CPT Code: 70450 | $805 | 5.0× |
| CT scan, chest (no contrast) CPT Code: 71250 | $827 | 5.0× |
| Ultrasound, leg veins (duplex) CPT Code: 93970 | $840 | 3.1× |
| Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) CPT Code: 93306 | $780 | 1.3× |
Audit a Bill or Quote at Southwest Memorial Hospital (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $15,693
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (92.6% of gross = $15,693).
Self-Pay Cash Rate ($8,475) Beats Your Bill
Southwest Memorial Hospital's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $8,475 (vs. $8,475 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.
Negotiate Toward $3,372 Fair BaseRate ($3,343 Medicare)
Your bill ($16,949) is $13,577 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($3,372) and 5.1× the $3,343 Medicare rate.
Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)
Hospital-Specific CMS HCRIS Benchmark (92.6% of gross charges)
Under 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5), a tax-exempt hospital organization may not bill FAP-eligible patients more than Amounts Generally Billed (AGB) to individuals with insurance covering emergency or medically necessary care. Derived from this facility’s reported CMS HCRIS cost-to-charge & insurer allowance filings. Verify your exact Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) determination directly with the billing office.
Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks
Healthcare-Associated Infections (CDC NHSN / CMS HAI)
1.00 SIR = National Predicted Baseline (Lower Is Safer)Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare (100 completed HCAHPS patient surveys). Clinical quality metrics summarize historical facility-wide cohorts and are not medical advice for individual care decisions.
How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings
2D regional comparison of commercial negotiated price index against CMS clinical quality composite for Southwest Memorial Hospital.
Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings
Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.