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Hospital Profile Critical Access Hospital Voluntary non-profit - Private 11 Beds · rural Updated: 2026-08-18

Mountrail County Medical Center Inc

615 6Th St Se, Stanley, ND 58784 · 97 Priced Procedures

CMS Overall Rating No CMS Rating
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
1.55×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+55% 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 +55% above the fair benchmark (1.55×) 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).69/100 · Caution
69/100Self-Pay Cash Beats Insurance 54% of the Time
File Completeness100Provenance (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 Logic45Coherence (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 Alignment79Concordance (Peer Alignment): Checks whether reported prices sit in a realistic range compared to Medicare and nearby hospitals rather than wild 100× unit errors.
Clean Billing76Regularity (Clean Billing): Checks whether rates are structured consistently across procedures without erratic statistical spikes or hidden unbundled facility fees.
Real Cash Discount43Cash 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 · Clinical Quality & ER SpeedChecks whether higher hospital prices actually buy better clinical quality — combining CMS Star Ratings, hospital safety scores, and emergency room wait times.High-Markup · Check Safety
CMS Star RatingNot RatedOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety Score85/100Composite patient safety score (0–100) derived from CMS hospital-acquired infection rates (CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C. diff), surgical complications, and HCAHPS surveys.
Typical ER Wait79 minMedian minutes patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, as reported to CMS Timely and Effective Care.

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintUpper-Quartile Spread · +33% Tail Jump

Wide Procedure Spread · Upper-Quartile Skew Pricer

Mountrail County Medical Center Inc prices routine shoppable procedures at 2.0× Medicare (median 1.47× Fair BaseRate) while upper-quartile commercial rates jump +33% to 1.96× Fair BaseRate. Self-pay cash discounts and comparing specific CPT procedure codes before scheduling yield the strongest savings.

#11 of 23 in ND · 43rd State Percentile#2,713 of 3,385 in U.S. · 80th National Percentile
Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

  • Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 1.00× the peer BaseRate benchmark
  • Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 54% of shoppable procedures (43/100 Cash Honesty)
  • CMS clinical safety score (85/100 safety score) with 72% patient recommendation
  • IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (75.3% AGB cap)
Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

  • Even at low-cost facilities (1.55× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
  • Commercial insurance median sits at 1.47× Fair BaseRate (2.0× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
  • Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 1.96×) jump +33% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 1.47×)
  • Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 6.7× Medicare (31¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging
2.0× Medicare

Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.

Back-Door Captive & ER0.80× Divergence
1.6× Medicare

Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.

Quantile Tail Spread+33% Upper Tail
Q25 1.00× · Q50 1.47× · Q75 1.96×

Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.

Select any lens to inspect department markups, federal cost accounting, or insurer discounts.
Department & Integrity Multiples (vs. CMS Medicare Cost Anchor) Green ≤1.3× · Teal 1.3–1.8× · Amber 1.8–2.5× · Rose >2.5×
Front-Door Shoppable CareFront-Door Shoppable
2.0× MedicareGood
Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive
0.8× MedicareGood
Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable
0.9× MedicareGood
Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive
0.8× MedicareGood
Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive
0.9× MedicareGood
Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive
0.8× MedicareGood
Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes
54% Cash Edge · 43/100Watchout
CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes
3 CMS · 85/100Good

Procedure Prices at Mountrail County Medical Center Inc

High-impact clinical procedures (MRIs, surgeries, inpatient stays, visits) are prioritized first. Use the category pills or search bar to filter all 97 published procedures.

Sort:
Audit a Bill & 501(r) Cap ↓
Procedure & Billing Code This Hospital vs. Fair
MRI, brain (with and without contrast)
CPT Code: 70553
 $1,094 2.1×
Sleep study (overnight, in lab)
CPT Code: 95810
 $1,025 1.0×
CT scan, head (with and without contrast)
CPT Code: 70470
 $940 3.6×
MRI, lower back (no contrast)
CPT Code: 72148
 $877 2.6×
CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (with contrast)
CPT Code: 74177
 $877 2.0×
CT scan, abdomen and pelvis (no contrast)
CPT Code: 74176
 $840 2.8×
MRI, knee or other leg joint
CPT Code: 73721
 $816 2.2×
CT scan, head (with contrast)
CPT Code: 70460
 $704 2.9×
Blood transfusion
CPT Code: 36430
 $717 1.4×
MRI, brain (no contrast)
CPT Code: 70551
 $641 1.9×
Trauma team activation
HCPCS Code: G0390
 $618 0.4×
CT scan, pelvis
CPT Code: 72192
 $494 3.0×
CT scan, head (no contrast)
CPT Code: 70450
 $477 3.0×
CT scan, lower back (lumbar spine)
CPT Code: 72131
 $494 2.9×
CT scan, sinuses
CPT Code: 70486
 $474 2.9×
CT scan, neck (cervical spine)
CPT Code: 72125
 $482 2.9×
Ultrasound, leg veins (duplex)
CPT Code: 93970
 $464 1.7×
Echocardiogram (heart ultrasound)
CPT Code: 93306
 $417 0.7×
CT scan, chest (no contrast)
CPT Code: 71250
 $363 2.2×
Ultrasound, abdomen (limited)
CPT Code: 76705
 $259 2.1×
Ultrasound, pelvis
CPT Code: 76856
 $261 2.0×
Ultrasound, abdomen (complete)
CPT Code: 76700
 $247 1.8×
X-ray, pelvis
CPT Code: 72170
 $248 unverified
X-ray, hand
CPT Code: 73130
 $243 unverified
Ultrasound, thyroid and neck
CPT Code: 76536
 $202 1.5×
Showing top 25 high-impact procedures of 97 total
Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 75.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at Mountrail County Medical Center Inc (Zero PHI Required)

CMS CCN: 351301
CPT 70553
Fair BaseRate™ $511
Medicare Rate $356
Self-Pay Cash $2,238
Insurer Median $1,094
Pre-filled with Mountrail County Medical Center Inc’s charged/list benchmark
Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines
2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person
Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $1,873 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $1,873

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (75.3% of gross = $1,873).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Save $249 Paying Cash

Self-Pay Cash Rate ($2,238) Beats Your Bill

Mountrail County Medical Center Inc's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $2,238 (vs. $1,094 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$1,976 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $511 Fair BaseRate ($356 Medicare)

Your bill ($2,487) is $1,976 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($511) and 7.0× the $356 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.
IRS Form 990 Schedule H & 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Hospital

Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) & Amounts Generally Billed (AGB)

EIN: 450447670
Filing Period: 199808
Free Care Eligibility BenchmarkUp to 200% FPL100% charity write-off income threshold
Discounted Care EligibilityUp to 400% FPLSliding-scale & AGB billing cap tier
Charity Care Share of ExpensesSee Schedule HNet community financial assistance reported
26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) AGB Benchmark Method: lookback_commercial_median

Hospital-Specific CMS HCRIS Benchmark (75.3% of gross charges)

Under 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5), a tax-exempt hospital organization may not bill FAP-eligible patients more than Amounts Generally Billed (AGB) to individuals with insurance covering emergency or medically necessary care. Derived from this facility’s reported CMS HCRIS cost-to-charge & insurer allowance filings. Verify your exact Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) determination directly with the billing office.

Screen your household size, income, and itemized CPT codes against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines: Calculate Your 501(r) Cap Above ↑
CMS Care Compare Public Quality Record

Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks

Safety Composite85/100
Median ER Wait79 min
Left ER Before Seen0%

Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare. Clinical quality metrics summarize historical facility-wide cohorts and are not medical advice for individual care decisions.

Care-Setting Arbitrage, Bilateral SVD Insurer Leverage & Regional Alternatives

How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings

Higher-Quality, Above-Median Price Tier

2D regional comparison of commercial negotiated price index against CMS clinical quality composite for Mountrail County Medical Center Inc.

Price Index: 1.34× regional baseline
Quality: 57/100 CMS composite
Median Household Income$81,292U.S. Census ACS
Local Uninsured Share16.4%Regional ACS estimate
200% FPL (1 Person)$31,920Common free-care ceiling
400% FPL (Family of 4)$128,600Common AGB cap ceiling
45 CFR § 180 Primary-Source Lineage & Federal Verification VeriRate 69/100 · Caution CMS CCN 351301 EIN 450447670

Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings

Download Official Hospital MRF ↗ Verify on CMS Medicare.gov (CCN 351301) ↗ Verify IRS Form 990 (EIN 450447670) ↗ CMS HCRIS Cost Reports ↗
Published MRF File450447670_mountrail-county-medical-center_standardcharges.json
Publication / Vintage2026-08-18 · 11.45 MB
Validated Rate Rows1,026 (CMS v3.0.0)
File Integrity Digesta7b6773b091acd47c9e1…

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.

Submit MRF Update Correction Policy