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National price data · 2,225 hospitals

Digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay) cost

What a digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay) costs across the U.S. — and the fair price to aim for.

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.Near Fair BaseRate Benchmark
1.00×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair PriceRight at U.S. Average (0%) 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 match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) 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 · Clinical Quality & ER SpeedChecks whether higher hospital prices actually buy better clinical quality — combining CMS Star Ratings, hospital safety scores, and emergency room wait times.Regional Value Leader
CMS Star RatingNot RatedOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety ScoreNot ScoredComposite patient safety score (0–100) derived from CMS hospital-acquired infection rates (CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C. diff), surgical complications, and HCAHPS surveys.
Typical ER WaitNo ER DataMedian minutes patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, as reported to CMS Timely and Effective Care.

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintMedian-Gamed · High Captive Markup

Loss-Leader / Captive Ancillary Cross-Subsidizer

Mercy Hospital Booneville prices routine shoppable procedures near 2.0× Medicare (p50 2.36×) while skewing captive emergency, lab, and upper-quartile codes to 3.0× Medicare (p75 3.26×, +38% upper-tail jump). Patients scheduling elective outpatient care can capture competitive rates, but emergency and ancillary bills require strict line-item auditing.

#49 of 51 in AR · 94th State Percentile#3,221 of 3,385 in U.S. · 95th National Percentile
Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

  • Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 0.90× the peer BaseRate benchmark
  • Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 61% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
  • 4-Star CMS clinical rating with 71% patient recommendation (70/100 safety score)
  • IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (36.4% AGB cap)
Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

  • Even at low-cost facilities (1.00× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
  • Captive ER (1.4×) & laboratory (1.4×) services average 1.50× higher multiples than routine shoppable care (2.0×)
  • Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 3.26×) jump +38% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 2.36×)
  • Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 8.5× Medicare (18¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging
2.0× Medicare

Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.

Back-Door Captive & ER1.50× Divergence
3.0× Medicare

Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.

Quantile Tail Spread+38% Upper Tail
Q25 0.90× · Q50 2.36× · Q75 3.26×

Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.

Select any lens to inspect department markups, federal cost accounting, or insurer discounts.
Department & Integrity Multiples (vs. CMS Medicare Cost Anchor) Green ≤1.3× · Teal 1.3–1.8× · Amber 1.8–2.5× · Rose >2.5×
Front-Door Shoppable CareFront-Door Shoppable
2.0× MedicareGood
Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive
1.0× MedicareGood
Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable
2.0× MedicareGood
Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive
1.4× MedicareGood
Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive
1.4× MedicareGood
Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive
0.8× MedicareGood
Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes
61% Cash Edge · 99/100Good
CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes
4 CMS · 70/100Fair
National Geographic Price Intelligence · 50-State + DC/PR Cartogram

National State Price Index Heatmap · Digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay)

State commercial price index vs. U.S. median (1.00×) and average Medicare multiple across all 53 priced states & territories

<0.93× Below Fair Price 0.93–1.05× Near Average 1.05–1.18× Elevated >1.18× High-Cost State
LA0.75×1.1× MedWV0.75×1.1× MedWY0.76×1.1× MedPR0.77×1.1× MedAL0.78×1.1× MedKY0.78×1.1× MedAR0.79×1.1× MedKS0.81×1.2× MedMT0.82×1.2× MedTN0.84×1.2× MedIL0.87×1.3× MedOH0.88×1.3× MedID0.90×1.3× MedMS0.90×1.3× MedPA0.90×1.3× MedMA0.91×1.3× MedNM0.91×1.3× MedRI0.92×1.3× MedAZ0.93×1.3× MedME0.93×1.3× MedSC0.93×1.3× MedIA0.94×1.4× MedMN0.94×1.4× MedOK0.94×1.4× MedMO0.95×1.4× MedND0.95×1.4× MedNE0.95×1.4× MedSD0.95×1.4× MedNC0.96×1.4× MedMI0.98×1.4× MedNV1.01×1.5× MedTX1.01×1.5× MedCO1.06×1.5× MedHI1.06×1.5× MedNY1.08×1.6× MedCA1.10×1.6× MedDE1.10×1.6× MedVT1.12×1.6× MedVA1.14×1.7× MedFL1.15×1.7× MedNH1.16×1.7× MedUT1.19×1.7× MedMD1.20×1.2× MedGA1.22×1.8× MedAK1.27×1.8× MedIN1.30×1.9× MedCT1.32×1.9× MedWI1.35×2.0× MedNJ1.41×2.0× MedOR1.41×2.0× MedWA1.49×2.2× MedDC1.89×2.7× Med
5 Lowest-Price States (Confounder-Isolated Value Leaders)
LA0.75×(1.1×)WV0.75×(1.1×)WY0.76×(1.1×)PR0.77×(1.1×)AL0.78×(1.1×)
5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)
DC1.89×(2.7×)WA1.49×(2.2×)OR1.41×(2.0×)NJ1.41×(2.0×)WI1.35×(2.0×)
The BaseRate high confidence
$8,323
the fair national price for a digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay)
typically $5,827–$13,758 across 2,225 hospitals · how we calculate it
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
2,225
hospitals priced
51
states
2.4×
price spread — where shopping matters
1.4×
vs. Medicare

Across 2,225 hospitals in 51 states, a digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay) has a fair BaseRate of $8,323 and typically costs $5,827–$13,758. The cheapest state is LA; the priciest is DC.

Cheapest hospitals for a digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay)

Digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay) cost by state

AK $10,440 4 hospitals AL $6,435 37 hospitals AR $6,514 19 hospitals AZ $7,643 50 hospitals CA $9,041 150 hospitals CO $8,743 39 hospitals CT $10,862 14 hospitals DC $15,507 5 hospitals DE $9,030 6 hospitals FL $9,456 128 hospitals GA $9,994 72 hospitals HI $8,730 15 hospitals IA $7,761 38 hospitals ID $7,395 11 hospitals IL $7,172 83 hospitals IN $10,730 83 hospitals KS $6,641 42 hospitals KY $6,451 46 hospitals LA $6,135 53 hospitals MA $7,448 35 hospitals ME $7,639 9 hospitals MI $8,021 72 hospitals MN $7,739 37 hospitals MO $7,774 55 hospitals MS $7,423 44 hospitals MT $6,769 5 hospitals NC $7,859 58 hospitals ND $7,852 5 hospitals NE $7,815 23 hospitals NH $9,564 8 hospitals NJ $11,615 48 hospitals NM $7,448 14 hospitals NV $8,309 18 hospitals NY $8,873 75 hospitals OH $7,245 110 hospitals OK $7,740 55 hospitals OR $11,632 23 hospitals PA $7,420 105 hospitals RI $7,596 6 hospitals SC $7,649 40 hospitals SD $7,815 6 hospitals TN $6,929 59 hospitals TX $8,304 199 hospitals UT $9,756 14 hospitals VA $9,406 64 hospitals VT $9,169 5 hospitals WA $12,269 32 hospitals WI $11,073 83 hospitals WV $6,207 18 hospitals WY $6,215 4 hospitals
Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at U.S. Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)

Fair BaseRate™ $8,323
Medicare Rate $4,827
Self-Pay Cash Request Quote
Insurer Median $8,223
Pre-filled with U.S. Hospital Benchmark’s charged/list benchmark
Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines
2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person
Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $7,164 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $7,164

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $7,164).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Request Prompt-Pay Quote

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Ask U.S. Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$11,412 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $8,323 Fair BaseRate ($4,827 Medicare)

Your bill ($19,735) is $11,412 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($8,323) and 4.1× the $4,827 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.
Care-Setting Arbitrage, Bilateral SVD Insurer Leverage & Regional Alternatives

How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings

Inpatient MS-DRG vs. Outpatient CPT Care-Setting Savings

Upper GI Endoscopy (EGD) with BiopsyDRG 392 vs CPT 43239
Inpatient: $21,785Outpatient: $3,841 Save $17,944 outpatient

Clinical Scope Note:Inpatient MS-DRG reflects a multi-day hospital admission (room, nursing, higher clinical acuity); outpatient CPT reflects the outpatient facility fee for clinically eligible low-acuity patients and excludes separate surgeon and anesthesia professional fees.