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CMS Price Transparency Data Hospital file updated: 2026-08-25

Cataract surgery with lens implant

Facility: Erie County Medical Center

Billing Code: 66984 (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.High Markup · Shop Alternatives
$1,459Fair BaseRate (2.48× Market)
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+148% 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.

This hospital's typical commercial price is $3,616 compared to the $1,459 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.High Price · Lower Safety
CMS Star Rating2/5 StarsOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety Score42/100Composite 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.

2-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 2.48× fair market pricing.

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence
A fair price for this
$1,459
about 0.6× the $2,358 Medicare rate · typically $629–$4,113
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
What this hospital charges insurers
$3,616
Well above the fair price
about $2,157 over the fair price · 1.5× Medicare
Medicare pays $2,358 Fair price $1,459 This hospital $3,616 Cash price $9,711

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other NY hospitals

Highest price of the 9 NY hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $554 Priciest $3,616

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

A fair price for a Cataract surgery with lens implant is about $1,459 (about 0.6× the $2,358 Medicare rate). Erie County Medical Center charges insurers about $3,616, or about $9,711 in cash — well above the fair price. Located in Buffalo, NY.

This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less

Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $1,459. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.

What each insurance company pays

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

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

UnitedHealthcareBlue Cross Blue ShieldAetnaCigna HumanaKaiser 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 $2,881 122%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor $2,574 - $8,843 109%
Aetnamajor $2,967 - $12,896 126%
Cignamajor $7,202 305%
Fidelis Care $2,600 - $5,791 110%
Independent Health $2,023 - $5,460 86%
Molina $2,385 - $5,791 101%
MVP Health Care $2,574 - $7,202 109%
WellCare $2,881 122%
+ 1 smaller / regional plan $2,574 - $9,219

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Insurance Before you use insurance

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Facility Profile & Credentials

  • Address: 462 Grider Street, Buffalo, NY 14215
  • CMS Rating: 2 / 5 Stars
  • Ownership Type: Voluntary non-profit - Other
  • Hospital Type: Acute Care Hospitals

Other Procedures at Erie County Medical Center

Compare: Cataract surgery with lens implant at other NY 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 Erie County Medical Center (Zero PHI Required)

CMS CCN: 330219
CPT 66984
Fair BaseRate™ $1,459
Medicare Rate $2,358
Self-Pay Cash $9,711
Insurer Median $3,616
Pre-filled with Erie County Medical Center’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: $3,150 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $3,150

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 = $3,150).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Published Cash: $9,711

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Erie County Medical Center's published 45 CFR § 180 self-pay cash rate is $9,711 (vs. $3,616 commercial insurer median). Ask billing to reclassify the visit to prompt-pay self-pay if it beats your deductible.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$7,219 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $1,459 Fair BaseRate ($2,358 Medicare)

Your bill ($8,678) is $7,219 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($1,459) and 3.7× the $2,358 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 Overall2/5 Stars (2/5)

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 330219

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

Download Official Hospital MRF ↗ Verify on CMS Medicare.gov (CCN 330219) ↗ CMS HCRIS Cost Reports ↗
Published MRF FileCMS_45_CFR_180_FILING.json
Publication / Vintage2026-08-25
Validated Rate RowsIndexed (CMS v3.0.0)
File Integrity DigestVerified · CCN 330219

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