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County Price & Affordability Audit 2 of 2 Hospitals Priced Pop. 442,204 $105,212 Median Income

Dakota County, MN Hospital Rates

Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in Dakota 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.High Markup · Shop Alternatives
1.56×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+56% 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 +56% above the fair benchmark (1.56×) 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 · Dakota County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Dakota 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 Dakota County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$105.2k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Dakota County ($105,212/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate3.8%Percentage of Dakota 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

Dakota County, MN Hospital Price & Affordability Summary

Dakota County, Minnesota (pop. 442,204) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (2 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.56× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $105,212 median household income.

County Price Index: 1.56× Fair MarketMedian Income: $105,212/yr
Advantage

Best Value & Patient Protections in Dakota County

  • 2 of 2 hospitals in Dakota County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Northfield Hospital, M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital).
  • High-rated local clinical care: Northfield Hospital (4/5 CMS Stars) and M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital (4/5 CMS Stars).
  • Under federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r), nonprofit hospitals must provide discounted Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) rates for Dakota County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout

Where Dakota County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)

  • Hospital outpatient facility fees in Dakota County can add 1.8×–3.0× over freestanding imaging and surgery centers for the exact same CPT code.
  • With a 3.8% local uninsured rate and $105,212 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 2.5 weeks of typical Dakota County family take-home pay.
  • Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Minnesota counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage100% Published
2 of 2 Hospitals

Includes Northfield Hospital & M Health Fairview Ridges 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 Dakota County.

Minnesota County Price & Affordability Heatmap 53 of 87 Counties with MRF Hospital Data

Minnesota County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap

Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 87 counties in Minnesota

<0.94× Affordable 0.94–1.06× Near Avg 1.06–1.20× Elevated >1.20× High-Markup
St. Louis County7hosps
1.33× Fair
Income $69k
Hennepin County6hosps
1.05× Fair
Income $96k
Ramsey County4hosps
1.08× Fair
Income $81k
Lac qui Parle County2hosps
0.75× Fair
Income $72k
Washington County2hosps
1.06× Fair
Income $114k
Cottonwood County2hosps
1.08× Fair
Income $68k
Pennington County2hosps
1.09× Fair
Income $73k
Otter Tail County2hosps
1.22× Fair
Income $71k
Big Stone County2hosps
1.23× Fair
Income $65k
Itasca County2hosps
1.40× Fair
Income $66k
Crow Wing County2hosps
1.54× Fair
Income $71k
Dakota County2hosps
1.56× Fair
Income $105k
Stevens County1hosp
0.35× Fair
Income $71k
Kittson County1hosp
0.40× Fair
Income $70k
Pope County1hosp
0.42× Fair
Income $72k
Todd County1hosp
0.62× Fair
Income $63k
Roseau County1hosp
0.62× Fair
Income $74k
Polk County1hosp
0.92× Fair
Income $69k
Pine County1hosp
0.92× Fair
Income $70k
Norman County1hosp
0.92× Fair
Income $70k
Winona County1hosp
0.94× Fair
Income $70k
Beltrami County1hosp
0.94× Fair
Income $67k
Nobles County1hosp
0.94× Fair
Income $66k
Chippewa County1hosp
0.94× Fair
Income $69k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 87 total in Minnesota

All Hospitals in Dakota County (2)

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

MRF Compliance: 2 of 2 Published

Compare Procedure Prices Across All Minnesota Hospitals

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