County Price & Affordability Audit
1 of 3 Hospitals Priced
Pop. 83,138
$67,144 Median Income
Lee County, MS Hospital Rates
Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 3 mapped hospitals in Lee 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
1.42×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+42% 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 +42% above the fair benchmark (1.42×) 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 · Lee County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Lee County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.1 of 3 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced1 of 3Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside Lee County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 3 local facilities.
Median Income$67.1k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Lee County ($67,144/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate11.0%Percentage of Lee 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 Audit1 of 3 Local Hospitals Priced
Lee County, MS Hospital Price & Affordability Summary
Lee County, Mississippi (pop. 83,138) has 3 CMS-certified hospitals (1 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.42× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $67,144 median household income.
County Price Index: 1.42× Fair MarketMedian Income: $67,144/yr
Advantage
Best Value & Patient Protections in Lee County
- 1 of 3 hospitals in Lee County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (North Mississippi Medical Center).
- Local Lee County 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 Lee County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout
Where Lee County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)
- 2 facilities in Lee County (North Mississippi State Hospital, Oceans Behavioral Hospital of Tupelo) lack an indexed MRF price schedule — always demand a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduling.
- With a 11.0% local uninsured rate and $67,144 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 3.9 weeks of typical Lee County family take-home pay.
- Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Mississippi counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage33% Published
1 of 3 Hospitals
Includes North Mississippi Medical Center.
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 Lee County.
Mississippi County Price & Affordability Heatmap
48 of 82 Counties with MRF Hospital Data
Mississippi County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap
Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 82 counties in Mississippi
<0.94× Affordable
0.94–1.06× Near Avg
1.06–1.20× Elevated
>1.20× High-Markup
Hinds County4hosps
1.17× Fair
Income $50k
Harrison County3hosps
0.90× Fair
Income $57k
Rankin County3hosps
0.91× Fair
Income $77k
Lauderdale County3hosps
1.38× Fair
Income $50k
Sunflower County2hosps
0.79× Fair
Income $40k
Simpson County2hosps
0.92× Fair
Income $54k
Scott County2hosps
0.93× Fair
Income $48k
Monroe County2hosps
1.14× Fair
Income $51k
Claiborne County1hosp
0.46× Fair
Income $34k
Tallahatchie County1hosp
0.72× Fair
Income $37k
Wilkinson County1hosp
0.74× Fair
Income $36k
Winston County1hosp
0.84× Fair
Income $49k
Yalobusha County1hosp
0.85× Fair
Income $49k
Lamar County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $69k
Wayne County1hosp
0.88× Fair
Income $37k
Warren County1hosp
0.90× Fair
Income $57k
Adams County1hosp
0.92× Fair
Income $40k
Jones County1hosp
0.96× Fair
Income $51k
Tippah County1hosp
0.98× Fair
Income $51k
Montgomery County1hosp
0.98× Fair
Income $45k
Jackson County1hosp
0.99× Fair
Income $65k
Pontotoc County1hosp
1.02× Fair
Income $53k
Bolivar County1hosp
1.02× Fair
Income $37k
Oktibbeha County1hosp
1.03× Fair
Income $43k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 82 total in Mississippi
All Hospitals in Lee County (3)
Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.
- North Mississippi State Hospital · Tupelo CMS CCN 254009 · Specialty / Outpatient CareNot Rated No MRF Indexed
- Oceans Behavioral Hospital of Tupelo · Tupelo CMS CCN 254013 · Specialty / Outpatient CareNot Rated No MRF Indexed
- North Mississippi Medical Center · Tupelo CMS CCN 250004 · 24/7 Emergency Services
Compare Procedure Prices Across All Mississippi Hospitals
View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all Mississippi facilities.