Northside Hospital Duluth
3620 Howell Ferry Road, Duluth, GA 30096 · 122 Priced Procedures · 71% Patient Recommendation
Typical commercial prices here are +42% above the fair benchmark (1.42×) even after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
3-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.42× fair market pricing.
Aligned Regional Benchmark Peer
Northside Hospital Duluth prices shoppable and inpatient services (2.6× to 1.5× Medicare, divergence 0.58×) in alignment with regional hospital peers (1.42× 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 1.05× the peer BaseRate benchmark
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 31% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
- 4-Star CMS clinical rating with 71% patient recommendation (66/100 safety score)
- IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (40.0% AGB cap)
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Even at low-cost facilities (1.42× 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.
- Commercial insurance median sits at 1.38× Fair BaseRate (2.6× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
- Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 1.76×) jump +28% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 1.38×)
- Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 14.6× Medicare (16¢ 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 Northside Hospital Duluth
High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 122 published procedures.
| Procedure & Billing Code | This Hospital | vs. Fair |
|---|---|---|
| Hip or knee replacement (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 470 | $19,656 | 1.0× |
| Sepsis treatment (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 871 | $19,327 | 1.0× |
| Heart stent placement (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 322 | $19,141 | 1.1× |
| Digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 392 | $10,114 | 1.2× |
| Total knee replacement CPT Code: 27447 | $9,365 | 0.7× |
| Total hip replacement CPT Code: 27130 | $9,128 | 0.7× |
| Rabies immune globulin HCPCS Code: 90375 | $8,501 | 26.4× |
| Bunion correction surgery CPT Code: 28296 | $6,053 | unverified |
| Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair CPT Code: 29881 | $5,537 | unverified |
| Vaginal delivery (full package) CPT Code: 59400 | $4,400 | 1.6× |
| Cataract surgery with lens implant CPT Code: 66984 | $4,292 | 1.7× |
| Upper endoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 43239 | $4,037 | unverified |
| Trauma team activation HCPCS Code: G0390 | $3,229 | 2.2× |
| C-section delivery (full package) CPT Code: 59510 | $3,137 | 1.1× |
| Blood transfusion CPT Code: 36430 | $2,511 | 5.0× |
| Injection procedure for pain management HCPCS Code: G0260 | $2,511 | 2.9× |
| Hepatitis B immune globulin HCPCS Code: 90371 | $1,807 | unverified |
| MRI, lower back (no contrast) CPT Code: 72148 | $1,491 | 4.4× |
| MRI, brain (no contrast) CPT Code: 70551 | $1,491 | unverified |
| MRI, brain (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70553 | $1,491 | unverified |
| MRI, knee or other leg joint CPT Code: 73721 | $1,491 | unverified |
| Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) CPT Code: 47562 | $1,396 | 0.2× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (no contrast) CPT Code: 74176 | $1,128 | 3.7× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast) CPT Code: 74177 | $1,128 | 2.5× |
| Inguinal hernia repair CPT Code: 49505 | $1,104 | 0.3× |
Audit a Bill or Quote at Northside Hospital Duluth (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $18,870
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (40.0% of gross = $18,870).
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask Northside Hospital Duluth's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.
Negotiate Toward $19,432 Fair BaseRate ($14,044 Medicare)
Your bill ($47,174) is $27,742 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($19,432) and 3.4× the $14,044 Medicare rate.
Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)
Hospital-Specific CMS HCRIS Benchmark (40.0% 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)CMS Price Transparency Administrative Enforcement Log
Factual public administrative actions published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding 45 CFR § 180 compliance at Northside Hospital Duluth. Prior administrative notices do not necessarily reflect current compliance status.
- 2022-08-01·administrative_or_closure
Closure Notice
Recorded - 2022-03-09·warning_notice
Warning Notice
Recorded
Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare (592 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 Northside Hospital Duluth.
Notable Payer Contract Outliers (SVD Matrix Anomalies)
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.