County Price & Affordability Audit
1 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Pop. 20,645
$78,430 Median Income
Buchanan County, IA Hospital Rates
Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in Buchanan 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.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 · Buchanan County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Buchanan County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.1 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced1 of 2Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside Buchanan County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$78.4k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Buchanan County ($78,430/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate5.9%Percentage of Buchanan 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 Audit1 of 2 Local Hospitals Priced
Buchanan County, IA Hospital Price & Affordability Summary
Buchanan County, Iowa (pop. 20,645) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (1 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.00× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $78,430 median household income.
County Price Index: 1.00× Fair MarketMedian Income: $78,430/yr
Advantage
Best Value & Patient Protections in Buchanan County
- 1 of 2 hospitals in Buchanan County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Buchanan County Health Center).
- Local Buchanan County households earning up to $31,920 (single) or $64,300 (family of 4) qualify for 200% FPL free charity care at nonprofit hospitals.
- Under federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r), nonprofit hospitals must provide discounted Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) rates for Buchanan County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout
Where Buchanan County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)
- 1 facility in Buchanan County (Mental Health Institute) lacks an indexed MRF price schedule — always demand a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduling.
- With a 5.9% local uninsured rate and $78,430 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 3.3 weeks of typical Buchanan County family take-home pay.
- Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Iowa counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage50% Published
1 of 2 Hospitals
Includes Buchanan County Health 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 Buchanan County.
Iowa County Price & Affordability Heatmap
78 of 99 Counties with MRF Hospital Data
Iowa County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap
Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 99 counties in Iowa
<0.94× Affordable
0.94–1.06× Near Avg
1.06–1.20× Elevated
>1.20× High-Markup
Polk County3hosps
0.83× Fair
Income $82k
Dubuque County3hosps
0.98× Fair
Income $76k
Black Hawk County3hosps
1.06× Fair
Income $65k
Scott County3hosps
1.24× Fair
Income $76k
Linn County2hosps
0.89× Fair
Income $76k
Clinton County2hosps
0.93× Fair
Income $65k
Sioux County2hosps
1.05× Fair
Income $85k
Johnson County2hosps
1.10× Fair
Income $75k
Carroll County2hosps
1.21× Fair
Income $69k
Wright County2hosps
1.21× Fair
Income $64k
Fayette County2hosps
1.29× Fair
Income $59k
Page County2hosps
1.36× Fair
Income $58k
Story County2hosps
1.47× Fair
Income $69k
Pottawattamie County2hosps
1.47× Fair
Income $71k
Bremer County2hosps
2.01× Fair
Income $83k
Clayton County2hosps
2.01× Fair
Income $62k
Winneshiek County1hosp
0.61× Fair
Income $76k
Hamilton County1hosp
0.63× Fair
Income $72k
Washington County1hosp
0.72× Fair
Income $71k
Des Moines County1hosp
0.74× Fair
Income $61k
Appanoose County1hosp
0.74× Fair
Income $51k
Allamakee County1hosp
0.76× Fair
Income $66k
Clarke County1hosp
0.82× Fair
Income $67k
Poweshiek County1hosp
0.83× Fair
Income $65k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 99 total in Iowa
All Hospitals in Buchanan County (2)
Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.
- Mental Health Institute · Independence CMS CCN 164003 · Specialty / Outpatient CareNot Rated No MRF Indexed
- Buchanan County Health Center · Independence CMS CCN 161335 · 24/7 Emergency Services
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