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County Price & Affordability Audit 1 of 2 Hospitals Priced Pop. 32,073 $61,965 Median Income

Lake County, MT Hospital Rates

Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in Lake 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
2.33×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+133% 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 +133% above the fair benchmark (2.33×) 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 · Lake County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Lake County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.1 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced1 of 2Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside Lake County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$62.0k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Lake County ($61,965/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate14.1%Percentage of Lake 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 2 Local Hospitals Priced

Lake County, MT Hospital Price & Affordability Summary

Lake County, Montana (pop. 32,073) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (1 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 2.33× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $61,965 median household income.

County Price Index: 2.33× Fair MarketMedian Income: $61,965/yr
Advantage

Best Value & Patient Protections in Lake County

  • 1 of 2 hospitals in Lake County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Providence St Joseph Medical Center).
  • Local Lake 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 Lake County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout

Where Lake County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)

  • 1 facility in Lake County (St Luke Community Hospital) lacks an indexed MRF price schedule — always demand a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduling.
  • With a 14.1% local uninsured rate and $61,965 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 4.2 weeks of typical Lake County family take-home pay.
  • Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across Montana counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage50% Published
1 of 2 Hospitals

Includes Providence St Joseph 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 Lake County.

Montana County Price & Affordability Heatmap 27 of 56 Counties with MRF Hospital Data

Montana County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap

Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 56 counties in Montana

<0.94× Affordable 0.94–1.06× Near Avg 1.06–1.20× Elevated >1.20× High-Markup
Missoula County2hosps
0.96× Fair
Income $71k
Lewis and Clark County2hosps
1.11× Fair
Income $75k
Flathead County2hosps
1.33× Fair
Income $71k
Sweet Grass County1hosp
0.35× Fair
Income $69k
Sheridan County1hosp
0.35× Fair
Income $64k
Valley County1hosp
0.41× Fair
Income $65k
Wheatland County1hosp
0.41× Fair
Income $47k
Park County1hosp
0.43× Fair
Income $67k
Daniels County1hosp
0.46× Fair
Income $58k
Phillips County1hosp
0.77× Fair
Income $58k
Musselshell County1hosp
0.96× Fair
Income $59k
Richland County1hosp
1.03× Fair
Income $70k
Fergus County1hosp
1.06× Fair
Income $60k
Stillwater County1hosp
1.16× Fair
Income $82k
Lincoln County1hosp
1.20× Fair
Income $47k
Glacier County1hosp
1.20× Fair
Income $45k
Madison County1hosp
1.20× Fair
Income $67k
Rosebud County1hosp
1.20× Fair
Income $56k
Liberty County1hosp
1.20× Fair
Income $53k
Yellowstone County1hosp
1.72× Fair
Income $74k
Cascade County1hosp
1.72× Fair
Income $66k
Chouteau County1hosp
1.74× Fair
Income $57k
Beaverhead County1hosp
1.88× Fair
Income $58k
Silver Bow County1hosp
2.04× Fair
Income $58k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 56 total in Montana

All Hospitals in Lake County (2)

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

MRF Compliance: 1 of 2 Published

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