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CMS Price Transparency Data Hospital file updated: 2026-03-04

Bunion correction surgery

Facility: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway

Billing Code: 28296 (CPT)

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.Good Deal · Below Fair Market
$3,928Fair BaseRate (0.90× Market)
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price10% Below 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.

This hospital's typical commercial price is $3,546 compared to the $3,928 fair price benchmark.

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 · 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.Regional Value Leader
CMS Star Rating4/5 StarsOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety Score78/100Composite patient safety score (0–100) derived from CMS hospital-acquired infection rates (CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C. diff), surgical complications, and HCAHPS surveys.
Typical ER WaitNo ER DataMedian minutes patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, as reported to CMS Timely and Effective Care.

4-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 0.90× fair market pricing.

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence
A fair price for this
$3,928
about 1.2× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $3,598–$5,353
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
What this hospital charges insurers
$3,546
About the fair price
about $382 under the fair price · 1.1× Medicare
Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $3,928 This hospital $3,546 Cash price $4,627

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NJ hospitals

One of the lower prices — 5 of 8 other NJ hospitals charge more for the same procedure.

Cheapest $1,235 Priciest $3,640

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 NJ hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a Bunion correction surgery is about $3,928 (about 1.2× the $3,343 Medicare rate). Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway charges insurers about $3,546, or about $4,627 in cash — about the fair price. Located in Rahway, NJ.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

5 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

UnitedHealthcareBlue Cross Blue ShieldAetnaCignaHumana Kaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company Price range vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor $3,617 - $5,982 108%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor $595 - $3,546 18%
Aetnamajor $3,546 - $10,851 106%
Cignamajor $2,070 - $2,770 62%
Humanamajor $3,546 106%
Clover Health $3,546 106%
Fidelis Care $3,546 106%
WellCare $7,056 211%
+ 1 smaller / regional plan $6,205

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

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Facility Profile & Credentials

  • Address: 865 Stone St, Rahway, NJ 07065
  • CMS Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
  • Ownership Type: Voluntary non-profit - Private
  • Hospital Type: Acute Care Hospitals

Other Procedures at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway

Compare: Bunion correction surgery at other NJ hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.

Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway (Zero PHI Required)

CMS CCN: 310024
CPT 28296
Fair BaseRate™ $3,928
Medicare Rate $3,343
Self-Pay Cash $4,627
Insurer Median $3,546
Pre-filled with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway’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: $3,089 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $3,089

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $3,089).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Save $3,883 Paying Cash

Self-Pay Cash Rate ($4,627) Beats Your Bill

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $4,627 (vs. $3,546 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$4,582 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $3,928 Fair BaseRate ($3,343 Medicare)

Your bill ($8,510) is $4,582 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($3,928) and 2.5× the $3,343 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.
CMS Care Compare Public Quality Record

Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks

CMS Overall4/5 Stars (4/5)

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

45 CFR § 180 Primary-Source Lineage & Federal Verification Verified CMS CCN 310024

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

MRF Portal Indexed (221487305_robert-wood-johnson-university-hospital-rahway_standardcharges.json) Verify on CMS Medicare.gov (CCN 310024) ↗ CMS HCRIS Cost Reports ↗
Published MRF File221487305_robert-wood-johnson-university-hospital-rahway_standardcharges.json
Publication / Vintage2026-03-04 · 356.17 MB
Validated Rate Rows2,674,269 (CMS v3.0.0)
File Integrity Digest0b892c8d9a5314a3f93d…

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