County Price & Affordability Audit
2 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Pop. 177,736
$77,034 Median Income
Kootenai County, ID Hospital Rates
Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in Kootenai 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.Good Deal · Below Fair Market
0.85×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price15% Below Fair Price
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 are 15% below the fair benchmark (0.85×) 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 · Kootenai County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Kootenai County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.2 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced2 of 2Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside Kootenai County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$77.0k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Kootenai County ($77,034/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate9.6%Percentage of Kootenai 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 Audit2 of 2 Local Hospitals Priced
Kootenai County, ID Hospital Price & Affordability Summary
Kootenai County, Idaho (pop. 177,736) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (2 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 0.85× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $77,034 median household income.
County Price Index: 0.85× Fair MarketMedian Income: $77,034/yr
Advantage
Best Value & Patient Protections in Kootenai County
- 2 of 2 hospitals in Kootenai County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Northwest Specialty Hospital, Kootenai Health).
- High-rated local clinical care: Kootenai Health (4/5 CMS Stars).
- Under federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r), nonprofit hospitals must provide discounted Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) rates for Kootenai County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout
Where Kootenai County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)
- Hospital outpatient facility fees in Kootenai County can add 1.8×–3.0× over freestanding imaging and surgery centers for the exact same CPT code.
- With a 9.6% local uninsured rate and $77,034 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 3.4 weeks of typical Kootenai County family take-home pay.
- Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Idaho counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage100% Published
2 of 2 Hospitals
Includes Northwest Specialty Hospital & Kootenai Health.
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 Kootenai County.
Idaho County Price & Affordability Heatmap
21 of 44 Counties with MRF Hospital Data
Idaho County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap
Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 44 counties in Idaho
<0.94× Affordable
0.94–1.06× Near Avg
1.06–1.20× Elevated
>1.20× High-Markup
Bonneville County3hosps
0.84× Fair
Income $77k
Canyon County3hosps
1.22× Fair
Income $72k
Kootenai County2hosps
0.85× Fair
Income $77k
Valley County2hosps
1.05× Fair
Income $76k
Ada County2hosps
1.11× Fair
Income $89k
Bingham County2hosps
1.37× Fair
Income $77k
Clearwater County1hosp
0.44× Fair
Income $58k
Boundary County1hosp
0.63× Fair
Income $62k
Teton County1hosp
0.67× Fair
Income $91k
Bannock County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $64k
Gem County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $66k
Lemhi County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $52k
Idaho County1hosp
0.90× Fair
Income $61k
Caribou County1hosp
0.90× Fair
Income $67k
Madison County1hosp
0.91× Fair
Income $58k
Oneida County1hosp
0.91× Fair
Income $73k
Benewah County1hosp
1.31× Fair
Income $57k
Butte County1hosp
1.85× Fair
Income $43k
Bear Lake County1hosp
2.12× Fair
Income $67k
Blaine County1hosp
2.57× Fair
Income $84k
Cassia County1hosp
3.19× Fair
Income $67k
Twin Falls County0hosps
0.87× Fair
Income $65k
Bonner County0hosps
0.87× Fair
Income $65k
Nez Perce County0hosps
0.87× Fair
Income $71k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 44 total in Idaho
All Hospitals in Kootenai County (2)
Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.
- Northwest Specialty Hospital · Post Falls CMS CCN 130066 · Specialty / Outpatient Care
- Kootenai Health · Coeur D'Alene CMS CCN 130049 · 24/7 Emergency Services
Compare Procedure Prices Across All Idaho Hospitals
View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all Idaho facilities.