Merit Health River Oaks
1030 River Oaks Drive, Flowood, MS 39232 · 88 Priced Procedures · 52% Patient Recommendation
Typical commercial prices here are 14% below the fair benchmark (0.86×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
1-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 0.86× fair market pricing.
Uniform Value Leader · Low-Cost Across Departments
Merit Health River Oaks maintains low, disciplined commercial pricing across both routine shoppable procedures (1.0× Medicare, p50 0.86× Fair BaseRate) and emergency/ancillary services (0.9× Medicare, p75 0.94× Fair BaseRate). Both insured and self-pay patients benefit from below-benchmark rates across departments.
Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)
- Elective shoppable care is priced 14% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.86×)
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 59% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
- 1-Star CMS clinical rating with 52% patient recommendation (52/100 safety score)
- Binding Good Faith Estimate rights under 45 CFR § 149.610 protect self-pay patients before scheduling
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Outpatient surgery & OR suites carry a 2.6× markup over Medicare rates
- Commercial insurance median sits at 0.86× Fair BaseRate (1.0× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
- Specialty infusion drugs (J-codes) average 1.8× Medicare — verify per-unit billing on itemized statements
- Consolidated metro market (HHI 2,330) limits in-network hospital competition (Moderately Concentrated (1,500–2,500))
Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.
Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.
Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.
Procedure Prices at Merit Health River Oaks
High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 88 published procedures.
| Procedure & Billing Code | This Hospital | vs. Fair |
|---|---|---|
| Hip or knee replacement (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 470 | $19,038 | 1.0× |
| Heart stent placement (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 322 | $17,401 | 1.0× |
| Sepsis treatment (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 871 | $15,338 | 0.8× |
| Total hip replacement CPT Code: 27130 | $12,587 | 0.9× |
| Total knee replacement CPT Code: 27447 | $12,587 | 0.9× |
| Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) CPT Code: 47562 | $6,823 | 1.1× |
| Digestive disorders treatment (inpatient stay) MS-DRG Code: 392 | $6,179 | 0.8× |
| Breast lump removal CPT Code: 19120 | $4,419 | 1.1× |
| Inguinal hernia repair CPT Code: 49505 | $4,041 | 1.1× |
| Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair CPT Code: 29881 | $3,013 | 0.9× |
| Trauma team activation HCPCS Code: G0390 | $1,382 | 1.0× |
| Colonoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 45380 | $1,102 | 0.9× |
| Colonoscopy (diagnostic) CPT Code: 45378 | $856 | 0.9× |
| Upper endoscopy with biopsy CPT Code: 43239 | $835 | 0.8× |
| Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound) CPT Code: 93306 | $495 | 0.8× |
| Blood transfusion CPT Code: 36430 | $422 | 0.8× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast) CPT Code: 74177 | $370 | 0.8× |
| MRI, brain (no contrast) CPT Code: 70551 | $269 | 0.8× |
| MRI, lower back (no contrast) CPT Code: 72148 | $261 | 0.8× |
| Breathing treatment (nebulizer) CPT Code: 94640 | $232 | 1.2× |
| MRI, knee or other leg joint CPT Code: 73721 | $253 | 0.7× |
| Ultrasound, leg veins (duplex) CPT Code: 93970 | $220 | 0.8× |
| CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (no contrast) CPT Code: 74176 | $219 | 0.7× |
| CT scan, head (with contrast) CPT Code: 70460 | $182 | 0.8× |
| CT scan, head (with and without contrast) CPT Code: 70470 | $186 | 0.7× |
Audit a Bill or Quote at Merit Health River Oaks (Zero PHI Required)
Above Standard 400% FPL Financial-Assistance Ceiling
At 274% FPL, you exceed the standard 400% FPL tier, though medical-hardship caps (when bills exceed 10% of annual income) may still apply.
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask Merit Health River Oaks's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.
Negotiate Toward $19,432 Fair BaseRate ($14,044 Medicare)
Your bill ($45,691) is $26,259 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($19,432) and 3.3× the $14,044 Medicare rate.
Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)
Public IRS & CMS ownership records classify Merit Health River Oaks as a non-501(c)(3) facility. Federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) statutory charity-care caps apply specifically to tax-exempt nonprofit hospitals, though state hospital fair-pricing statutes and prompt-pay self-pay discounts may still apply.
Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks
Healthcare-Associated Infections (CDC NHSN / CMS HAI)
1.00 SIR = National Predicted Baseline (Lower Is Safer)CMS Price Transparency Administrative Enforcement Log
Factual public administrative actions published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding 45 CFR § 180 compliance at Merit Health River Oaks. Prior administrative notices do not necessarily reflect current compliance status.
- 2025-07-24·administrative_or_closure
Closure Notice
Recorded - 2025-04-22·warning_notice
Warning Notice
Recorded - 2023-02-07·administrative_or_closure
Met Requirements
Recorded
Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare (514 completed HCAHPS patient surveys). Clinical quality metrics summarize historical facility-wide cohorts and are not medical advice for individual care decisions.
How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings
2D regional comparison of commercial negotiated price index against CMS clinical quality composite for Merit Health River Oaks.
Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings
Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.