County Price & Affordability Audit
2 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Pop. 19,797
$64,536 Median Income
St. James Parish, LA Hospital Rates
Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in St. James Parish.
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.Above Fair Market · Negotiate
1.08×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+8% Above 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 +8% above the fair benchmark (1.08×) even 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 · St. James Parish Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in St. James Parish, 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 St. James Parish that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$64.5k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in St. James Parish ($64,536/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate6.7%Percentage of St. James Parish 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
St. James Parish, LA Hospital Price & Affordability Summary
St. James Parish, Louisiana (pop. 19,797) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (2 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.08× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $64,536 median household income.
County Price Index: 1.08× Fair MarketMedian Income: $64,536/yr
Advantage
Best Value & Patient Protections in St. James Parish
- 2 of 2 hospitals in St. James Parish publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Beacon Behavioral Hospital - Lutcher, St James Parish Hospital).
- Local St. James Parish 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 St. James Parish families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout
Where St. James Parish Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)
- Hospital outpatient facility fees in St. James Parish can add 1.8×–3.0× over freestanding imaging and surgery centers for the exact same CPT code.
- With a 6.7% local uninsured rate and $64,536 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 4.0 weeks of typical St. James Parish family take-home pay.
- Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Louisiana counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage100% Published
2 of 2 Hospitals
Includes Beacon Behavioral Hospital - Lutcher & St James Parish Hospital.
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 St. James Parish.
Louisiana County Price & Affordability Heatmap
46 of 64 Counties with MRF Hospital Data
Louisiana County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap
Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 64 counties in Louisiana
<0.94× Affordable
0.94–1.06× Near Avg
1.06–1.20× Elevated
>1.20× High-Markup
Jefferson Parish6hosps
1.33× Fair
Income $65k
Lafayette Parish5hosps
0.88× Fair
Income $68k
Caddo Parish5hosps
1.00× Fair
Income $50k
Calcasieu Parish5hosps
1.06× Fair
Income $68k
St. Tammany Parish4hosps
0.86× Fair
Income $79k
Orleans Parish4hosps
1.09× Fair
Income $55k
Ouachita Parish4hosps
1.25× Fair
Income $51k
Tangipahoa Parish3hosps
0.82× Fair
Income $57k
Rapides Parish3hosps
1.04× Fair
Income $56k
Caldwell Parish2hosps
0.83× Fair
Income $45k
Allen Parish2hosps
0.84× Fair
Income $51k
East Baton Rouge Parish2hosps
0.88× Fair
Income $63k
Lincoln Parish2hosps
0.91× Fair
Income $38k
Richland Parish2hosps
0.92× Fair
Income $53k
Terrebonne Parish2hosps
1.02× Fair
Income $65k
St. James Parish2hosps
1.08× Fair
Income $65k
St. Mary Parish2hosps
1.10× Fair
Income $52k
Vermilion Parish2hosps
1.21× Fair
Income $58k
Acadia Parish2hosps
1.27× Fair
Income $45k
Webster Parish2hosps
1.32× Fair
Income $37k
Union Parish2hosps
1.35× Fair
Income $46k
Lafourche Parish2hosps
1.50× Fair
Income $63k
East Carroll Parish1hosp
0.69× Fair
Income $28k
Iberia Parish1hosp
0.79× Fair
Income $58k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 64 total in Louisiana
All Hospitals in St. James Parish (2)
Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.
- Beacon Behavioral Hospital - Lutcher · Lutcher CMS CCN 194102 · Specialty / Outpatient Care
- St James Parish Hospital · Lutcher CMS CCN 191305 · 24/7 Emergency Services
Compare Procedure Prices Across All Louisiana Hospitals
View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all Louisiana facilities.