Humboldt County Memorial Hospital
1000 North 15Th Street, Humboldt, IA 50548 · 64 Priced Procedures · 61% Patient Recommendation
Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.
Aligned Regional Benchmark Peer
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital prices shoppable and inpatient services (3.7× to 2.8× Medicare, divergence 0.76×) 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 9% of shoppable procedures (25/100 Cash Honesty)
- CMS clinical safety score (67/100 safety score) with 61% patient recommendation
- IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (77.6% AGB cap)
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Outpatient surgery & OR suites carry a 1.4× markup over Medicare rates
- Commercial insurance median sits at 1.00× Fair BaseRate (3.7× 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 3.5× Medicare (40¢ 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 Humboldt County Memorial Hospital
High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 64 published procedures.
| Procedure & Billing Code | This Hospital | vs. Fair |
|---|---|---|
| MRI, brain (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70553 | $3,007 | 5.9× |
| Total hip replacement CPT Code: 27130 | $2,876 | 0.2× |
| Total knee replacement CPT Code: 27447 | $2,874 | 0.2× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast) CPT Code: 74177 | $2,700 | 6.0× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (no contrast) CPT Code: 74176 | $2,430 | 8.0× |
| Upper endoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 43239 | $1,904 | 1.9× |
| MRI, brain (no contrast) CPT Code: 70551 | $1,861 | 5.4× |
| MRI, knee or other leg joint CPT Code: 73721 | $1,861 | 5.0× |
| Colonoscopy (diagnostic) CPT Code: 45378 | $1,814 | 1.8× |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 45380 | $1,814 | 1.4× |
| MRI, lower back (no contrast) CPT Code: 72148 | $1,719 | 5.1× |
| Sleep study (overnight, in lab) CPT Code: 95810 | $1,744 | 1.7× |
| Trauma team activation HCPCS Code: G0390 | $1,620 | 1.1× |
| Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair CPT Code: 29881 | $1,146 | 0.3× |
| CT scan, head (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70470 | $1,117 | 4.3× |
| CT scan, chest (no contrast) CPT Code: 71250 | $1,032 | 6.2× |
| CT scan, head (with contrast) CPT Code: 70460 | $1,032 | 4.3× |
| CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine) CPT Code: 72131 | $1,002 | 6.0× |
| CT scan, head (no contrast) CPT Code: 70450 | $942 | 5.9× |
| CT scan, pelvis CPT Code: 72192 | $934 | 5.7× |
| CT scan, sinuses CPT Code: 70486 | $934 | 5.6× |
| CT scan, neck (cervical spine) CPT Code: 72125 | $934 | 5.5× |
| Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) CPT Code: 93306 | $734 | 1.3× |
| Rabies immune globulin HCPCS Code: 90375 | $639 | 2.0× |
| Ultrasound, leg veins (duplex) CPT Code: 93970 | $590 | 2.2× |
Audit a Bill or Quote at Humboldt County Memorial Hospital (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $2,593
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (77.6% of gross = $2,593).
Self-Pay Cash Rate ($3,007) Beats Your Bill
Humboldt County Memorial Hospital's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $3,007 (vs. $3,007 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.
Negotiate Toward $511 Fair BaseRate ($356 Medicare)
Your bill ($3,342) is $2,831 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($511) and 9.4× the $356 Medicare rate.
Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)
Hospital-Specific CMS HCRIS Benchmark (77.6% 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
Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare (37 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 Humboldt County 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.