VA price data · 4 hospitals
Behavioral health counseling (group) cost in VA
What a behavioral health counseling (group) costs at VA hospitals — and the fair price to aim for.
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
1.44×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+44% 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 +44% above the fair benchmark (1.44×) 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 · 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 ScoreNot ScoredComposite 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.
Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.
Behavioral Pricing FingerprintHigh Infusion / OR Multiples
Specialty Drug & Surgical Margin Engine
Medical College of Virginia Hospitals concentrates commercial margin in outpatient surgical suites (2.0× Medicare) and specialty drug infusions (9.1× Medicare) relative to routine diagnostics (1.7×). Comparing freestanding ambulatory surgery centers or specialty pharmacy options before treatment yields substantial savings.
#53 of 75 in VA · 69th State Percentile#2,438 of 3,385 in U.S. · 71st National Percentile
Advantage
Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)
- Bottom-quartile procedures (Q25) price at 1.13× the peer BaseRate benchmark
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 0% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
- 4-Star CMS clinical rating with 76% patient recommendation (71/100 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)
- Outpatient surgery & OR suites carry a 2.0× markup over Medicare rates
- Captive ER (2.3×) & laboratory (2.1×) services average 1.31× higher multiples than routine shoppable care (1.6×)
- Specialty infusion drugs (J-codes) average 9.1× Medicare — verify per-unit billing on itemized statements
- Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 3.8× Medicare (26¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging
1.6× Medicare
Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.
Back-Door Captive & ER1.31× Divergence
2.1× Medicare
Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.
Quantile Tail Spread+10% Upper Tail
Q25 1.13× · Q50 1.54× · Q75 1.69×
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
1.6× MedicareGood
Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive
2.0× MedicareGood
Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable
1.7× MedicareGood
Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive
2.3× MedicareFair
Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive
2.1× MedicareGood
Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive
9.1× MedicareWatchout
Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes
0% Cash Edge · 99/100Good
CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes
4 CMS · 71/100Fair
The BaseRate · VA 4 hospitals
Fair price · the BaseRate
$344
what it should cost in VA
Typically charged
$388
median across VA hospitals
In general, VA hospitals charge about the fair price for this. how we calculate the BaseRate →
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
Compared with the rest of the country, VA’s fair BaseRate ($344) is above the national fair price of $248.
Cheapest VA hospitals for a behavioral health counseling (group)
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 VA Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)
Fair BaseRate™ $344
Medicare Rate $200
Self-Pay Cash Request Quote
Insurer Median $388
Pre-filled with VA Hospital Benchmark’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: $338 (274% FPL)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $338
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 = $338).
Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage
Request Prompt-Pay Quote
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask VA 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
+$587 Above Fair BaseRate
Negotiate Toward $344 Fair BaseRate ($200 Medicare)
Your bill ($931) is $587 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($344) and 4.7× the $200 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.