Why do hospital prices for Occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) vary across facilities?

Commercial rates are negotiated individually between hospital systems and insurers, creating wide local dispersion even within the same metro area. Comparing facility-specific cash and in-network rates before scheduling care helps avoid overpaying.

National price data · 2,572 hospitals

Occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) cost

Q: How much does a Occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) typically cost in the United States?

Across 2,572 U.S. hospitals in 52 states, the modeled national fair BaseRate for Occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) is $44, with most hospital negotiated prices falling between $33 and $105.

What a occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) costs across the U.S. — and the fair price to aim for.

Near Fair BaseRate Benchmark

1.00×vs. Fair Market Price

Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.

86/100 · Verified

86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited

File Completeness90

Price Logic88

Peer Alignment86

Clean Billing83

Real Cash Discount84

Regional Value Leader

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

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintHigh-HHI Market Leverage

Consolidated System Premium Pricer

Operating in a concentrated regional market (CBSA HHI 2,534), Aiken Regional Medical Center commands a 1.19× BaseRate commercial premium across insurers. Self-pay cash quotes, in-state peer hospitals, and freestanding outpatient facilities offer critical leverage against consolidated system pricing.

#30 of 52 in SC · 55th State Percentile#1,980 of 3,385 in U.S. · 58th National Percentile

Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 0.59× the peer BaseRate benchmark
Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 68% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
2-Star CMS clinical rating with 56% patient recommendation (54/100 safety score)
Binding Good Faith Estimate rights under 45 CFR § 149.610 protect self-pay patients before scheduling

Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

Even at low-cost facilities (1.00× 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 0.97× Fair BaseRate (1.2× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 1.25×) jump +29% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 0.97×)
Consolidated metro market (HHI 2,534) limits in-network hospital competition (Highly Concentrated Monopoly (>2,500))

Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging

1.2× Medicare

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

Back-Door Captive & ER1.00× Divergence

1.2× Medicare

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

Quantile Tail Spread+29% Upper Tail

Q25 0.59× · Q50 0.97× · Q75 1.25×

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

1.2× MedicareGood

Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive

0.8× MedicareGood

Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable

3.4× MedicareElevated

Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive

1.3× MedicareGood

Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive

3.3× MedicareElevated

Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive

0.9× MedicareGood

Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes

68% Cash Edge · 99/100Good

CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes

2 CMS · 54/100Elevated

National Geographic Price Intelligence · 50-State + DC/PR Cartogram

National State Price Index Heatmap · Occupational therapy (therapeutic activities)

State commercial price index vs. U.S. median (1.00×) and average Medicare multiple across all 53 priced states & territories

<0.93× Below Fair Price 0.93–1.05× Near Average 1.05–1.18× Elevated >1.18× High-Cost State

AK1.10× 1.3× Med ME1.05× 1.2× Med WA1.18× 1.3× Med ID1.13× 1.3× Med MT1.68× 1.9× Med ND1.88× 2.1× Med MN1.23× 1.4× Med WI0.93× 1.1× Med MI0.90× 1.0× Med VT0.98× 1.1× Med NH1.02× 1.2× Med OR1.00× 1.1× Med NV1.05× 1.2× Med WY1.33× 1.5× Med SD1.00× 1.1× Med IA1.18× 1.3× Med IL0.95× 1.1× Med IN1.25× 1.4× Med OH1.00× 1.1× Med PA0.85× 1.0× Med NY1.02× 1.2× Med MA1.33× 1.5× Med CA0.98× 1.1× Med UT0.90× 1.0× Med CO1.25× 1.4× Med NE1.75× 2.0× Med MO0.95× 1.1× Med KY0.88× 1.0× Med WV0.83× 0.9× Med VA0.90× 1.0× Med MD0.98× 1.1× Med NJ1.70× 1.9× Med CT2.10× 2.4× Med AZ1.95× 2.2× Med NM0.90× 1.0× Med KS1.35× 1.5× Med AR0.98× 1.1× Med TN0.88× 1.0× Med NC0.85× 1.0× Med SC0.90× 1.0× Med DE1.38× 1.6× Med DC1.02× 1.2× Med RI1.88× 2.1× Med OK1.23× 1.4× Med LA0.85× 1.0× Med MS0.90× 1.0× Med AL0.88× 1.0× Med GA0.95× 1.1× Med HI1.02× 1.2× Med TX1.13× 1.3× Med FL0.90× 1.0× Med PR0.63× 0.7× Med

PR0.63×0.7× Med WV0.83×0.9× Med LA0.85×1.0× Med NC0.85×1.0× Med PA0.85×1.0× Med AL0.88×1.0× Med KY0.88×1.0× Med TN0.88×1.0× Med FL0.90×1.0× Med MI0.90×1.0× Med MS0.90×1.0× Med NM0.90×1.0× Med SC0.90×1.0× Med UT0.90×1.0× Med VA0.90×1.0× Med WI0.93×1.1× Med GA0.95×1.1× Med IL0.95×1.1× Med MO0.95×1.1× Med AR0.98×1.1× Med CA0.98×1.1× Med MD0.98×1.1× Med VT0.98×1.1× Med OH1.00×1.1× Med OR1.00×1.1× Med SD1.00×1.1× Med DC1.02×1.2× Med HI1.02×1.2× Med NH1.02×1.2× Med NY1.02×1.2× Med ME1.05×1.2× Med NV1.05×1.2× Med AK1.10×1.3× Med ID1.13×1.3× Med TX1.13×1.3× Med IA1.18×1.3× Med WA1.18×1.3× Med MN1.23×1.4× Med OK1.23×1.4× Med CO1.25×1.4× Med IN1.25×1.4× Med MA1.33×1.5× Med WY1.33×1.5× Med KS1.35×1.5× Med DE1.38×1.6× Med MT1.68×1.9× Med NJ1.70×1.9× Med NE1.75×2.0× Med ND1.88×2.1× Med RI1.88×2.1× Med AZ1.95×2.2× Med CT2.10×2.4× Med

5 Lowest-Price States (Confounder-Isolated Value Leaders)

PR0.63×(0.7×)WV0.83×(0.9×)LA0.85×(1.0×)NC0.85×(1.0×)PA0.85×(1.0×)

5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)

CT2.10×(2.4×)AZ1.95×(2.2×)RI1.88×(2.1×)ND1.88×(2.1×)NE1.75×(2.0×)

The BaseRate high confidence

$44

the fair national price for a occupational therapy (therapeutic activities)

typically $33–$105 across 2,572 hospitals · how we calculate it

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

2,572

hospitals priced

states

3.2×

price spread — where shopping matters

1.1×

vs. Medicare

Across 2,572 hospitals in 52 states, a occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) has a fair BaseRate of $44 and typically costs $33–$105. The cheapest state is PR; the priciest is CT.

Cheapest hospitals for a occupational therapy (therapeutic activities)

Occupational therapy (therapeutic activities) cost by state

AK $44 3 hospitals AL $35 42 hospitals AR $39 42 hospitals AZ $78 44 hospitals CA $39 163 hospitals CO $50 51 hospitals CT $84 8 hospitals DC $41 5 hospitals DE $55 7 hospitals FL $36 118 hospitals GA $38 61 hospitals HI $41 19 hospitals IA $47 51 hospitals ID $45 22 hospitals IL $38 103 hospitals IN $50 87 hospitals KS $54 92 hospitals KY $35 57 hospitals LA $34 70 hospitals MA $53 44 hospitals MD $39 3 hospitals ME $42 25 hospitals MI $36 67 hospitals MN $49 64 hospitals MO $38 69 hospitals MS $36 59 hospitals MT $67 13 hospitals NC $34 55 hospitals ND $75 13 hospitals NE $70 45 hospitals NH $41 14 hospitals NJ $68 47 hospitals NM $36 15 hospitals NV $42 22 hospitals NY $41 75 hospitals OH $40 95 hospitals OK $49 67 hospitals OR $40 31 hospitals PA $34 113 hospitals PR $25 3 hospitals RI $75 6 hospitals SC $36 45 hospitals SD $40 11 hospitals TN $35 66 hospitals TX $45 236 hospitals UT $36 35 hospitals VA $36 53 hospitals VT $39 9 hospitals WA $47 38 hospitals WI $37 66 hospitals WV $33 18 hospitals WY $53 5 hospitals

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 U.S. Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)

Fair BaseRate™ $44

Medicare Rate $26

Self-Pay Cash Request Quote

Insurer Median $40

1. Amount on Your Bill or Quote ($) Pre-filled with U.S. Hospital Benchmark’s charged/list benchmark

2. Household Annual Income ($) Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines

3. Household Size (1–8) 2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person

Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $35 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $35

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 = $35).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Request Prompt-Pay Quote

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Ask U.S. Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$52 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $44 Fair BaseRate ($26 Medicare)

Your bill ($96) is $52 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($44) and 3.7× the $26 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.