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County Price & Affordability Audit 3 of 6 Hospitals Priced Pop. 807,258 $99,431 Median Income

Essex County, MA Hospital Rates

Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 6 mapped hospitals in Essex 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.Above Fair Market · Negotiate
1.20×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+20% 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 +20% above the fair benchmark (1.20×) 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 · Essex County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Essex County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.3 of 6 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced3 of 6Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside Essex County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 6 local facilities.
Median Income$99.4k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Essex County ($99,431/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate2.8%Percentage of Essex 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 Audit3 of 6 Local Hospitals Priced

Essex County, MA Hospital Price & Affordability Summary

Essex County, Massachusetts (pop. 807,258) has 6 CMS-certified hospitals (3 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.20× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $99,431 median household income.

County Price Index: 1.20× Fair MarketMedian Income: $99,431/yr
Advantage

Best Value & Patient Protections in Essex County

  • 3 of 6 hospitals in Essex County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (North Shore Medical Center -, Northeast Hospital Corporation, Anna Jaques Hospital).
  • High-rated local clinical care: North Shore Medical Center - (5/5 CMS Stars).
  • Under federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r), nonprofit hospitals must provide discounted Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) rates for Essex County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout

Where Essex County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)

  • 3 facilities in Essex County (Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital, Whittier Pavilion) lack an indexed MRF price schedule — always demand a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduling.
  • With a 2.8% local uninsured rate and $99,431 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 2.6 weeks of typical Essex County family take-home pay.
  • Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Massachusetts counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage50% Published
3 of 6 Hospitals

Includes North Shore Medical Center - & Northeast Hospital Corporation.

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 Essex County.

Massachusetts County Price & Affordability Heatmap 13 of 14 Counties with MRF Hospital Data

Massachusetts County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap

Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 14 counties in Massachusetts

<0.94× Affordable 0.94–1.06× Near Avg 1.06–1.20× Elevated >1.20× High-Markup

All Hospitals in Essex County (6)

Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.

MRF Compliance: 3 of 6 Published

Compare Procedure Prices Across All Massachusetts Hospitals

View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all Massachusetts facilities.

Browse All Massachusetts Hospitals & Procedures →