County Price & Affordability Audit
2 of 2 Hospitals Priced
Pop. 72,580
$74,543 Median Income
Lewis and Clark County, MT Hospital Rates
Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 2 mapped hospitals in Lewis and Clark 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
1.11×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+11% 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 +11% above the fair benchmark (1.11×) 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 · Lewis and Clark County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 2 local facilities.
Median Income$74.5k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Lewis and Clark County ($74,543/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate6.2%Percentage of Lewis and Clark 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
Lewis and Clark County, MT Hospital Price & Affordability Summary
Lewis and Clark County, Montana (pop. 72,580) has 2 CMS-certified hospitals (2 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.11× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $74,543 median household income.
County Price Index: 1.11× Fair MarketMedian Income: $74,543/yr
Advantage
Best Value & Patient Protections in Lewis and Clark County
- 2 of 2 hospitals in Lewis and Clark County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (St Peters Health, Shodair Children's Hospital).
- Local Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout
Where Lewis and Clark County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)
- Hospital outpatient facility fees in Lewis and Clark County can add 1.8×–3.0× over freestanding imaging and surgery centers for the exact same CPT code.
- With a 6.2% local uninsured rate and $74,543 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 3.5 weeks of typical Lewis and Clark 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 Coverage100% Published
2 of 2 Hospitals
Includes St Peters Health & Shodair Children's 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 Lewis and Clark 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 Lewis and Clark County (2)
Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.
- St Peters Health · Helena CMS CCN 270003 · 24/7 Emergency Services
- Shodair Children's Hospital · Helena CMS CCN 274004 · Specialty / Outpatient Care
Compare Procedure Prices Across All Montana Hospitals
View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all Montana facilities.