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County Price & Affordability Audit 2 of 4 Hospitals Priced Pop. 178,198 $58,887 Median Income

Kanawha County, WV Hospital Rates

Compare hospital price transparency compliance, fair price benchmarks, and local household charity-care eligibility across all 4 mapped hospitals in Kanawha County.

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
1.42×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair Price+42% 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 +42% above the fair benchmark (1.42×) 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 · Kanawha County Affordability & CoverageSummarizes local hospital price disclosure compliance in Kanawha County, U.S. Census median household income, local uninsured rate, and federal 200%–400% FPL charity-care income thresholds.2 of 4 Hospitals Priced
Hospitals Priced2 of 4Number of CMS-certified hospitals located inside Kanawha County that have published machine-readable price files out of all 4 local facilities.
Median Income$58.9k / yrU.S. Census ACS median annual household income in Kanawha County ($58,887/yr), used to measure medical bill burden and charity-care eligibility.
Uninsured Rate4.7%Percentage of Kanawha County residents without health insurance who rely on self-pay cash discounts and 501(r) nonprofit hospital financial assistance.

Local charity-care income cutoffs (200%–400% FPL): up to $31,920 (single) and $128,600 (family of 4) qualify for free or discounted hospital care.

County Hospital Pricing & Affordability Audit2 of 4 Local Hospitals Priced

Kanawha County, WV Hospital Price & Affordability Summary

Kanawha County, West Virginia (pop. 178,198) has 4 CMS-certified hospitals (2 publishing verified machine-readable price files) with a local price index of 1.42× the U.S. fair price benchmark and a $58,887 median household income.

County Price Index: 1.42× Fair MarketMedian Income: $58,887/yr
Advantage

Best Value & Patient Protections in Kanawha County

  • 2 of 4 hospitals in Kanawha County publish verified 45 CFR § 180 price files (Charleston Area Medical Center, Highland Hospital).
  • Local Kanawha County households earning up to $31,920 (single) or $64,300 (family of 4) qualify for 200% FPL free charity care at nonprofit hospitals.
  • Under federal 26 U.S.C. § 501(r), nonprofit hospitals must provide discounted Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) rates for Kanawha County families earning up to $128,600/yr (400% FPL).
Watchout

Where Kanawha County Patients Get Burned (Billing Watchouts)

  • 2 facilities in Kanawha County (Thomas Memorial Hospital, Camc Charleston Surgical Hospital) lack an indexed MRF price schedule — always demand a written Good Faith Estimate before scheduling.
  • With a 4.7% local uninsured rate and $58,887 median household income, an unnegotiated $5,000 hospital bill equals 4.4 weeks of typical Kanawha County family take-home pay.
  • Emergency department and inpatient ancillary charges vary significantly across West Virginia counties — inspect each hospital's profile below before paying a full chargemaster bill.
County MRF Price Coverage50% Published
2 of 4 Hospitals

Includes Charleston Area Medical Center & Highland Hospital.

Free Care Income Cutoff (200% FPL)Nonprofit 501(r) Rule
$31,920 – $64,300

Single ($31,920) to Family of 4 ($64,300) threshold for 100% free charity care.

Discounted Care Cutoff (400% FPL)AGB Billing Cap
Up to $128,600/yr

4-person household income cap qualifying for statutory AGB billing limits in Kanawha County.

West Virginia County Price & Affordability Heatmap 26 of 55 Counties with MRF Hospital Data

West Virginia County-Level Hospital Price & Affordability Heatmap

Hospital price index, Medicare markup, and household affordability burden across 55 counties in West Virginia

<0.94× Affordable 0.94–1.06× Near Avg 1.06–1.20× Elevated >1.20× High-Markup
Cabell County2hosps
0.76× Fair
Income $53k
Raleigh County2hosps
1.41× Fair
Income $52k
Kanawha County2hosps
1.42× Fair
Income $59k
Barbour County1hosp
0.69× Fair
Income $48k
Mercer County1hosp
0.79× Fair
Income $48k
Greenbrier County1hosp
0.82× Fair
Income $49k
Wood County1hosp
0.86× Fair
Income $56k
Preston County1hosp
0.86× Fair
Income $61k
Mingo County1hosp
0.86× Fair
Income $40k
Berkeley County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $77k
Monongalia County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $63k
Summers County1hosp
0.87× Fair
Income $43k
Marshall County1hosp
0.89× Fair
Income $60k
Brooke County1hosp
0.90× Fair
Income $52k
Ohio County1hosp
0.93× Fair
Income $58k
Boone County1hosp
0.96× Fair
Income $56k
Harrison County1hosp
0.98× Fair
Income $58k
Upshur County1hosp
1.47× Fair
Income $52k
Jackson County1hosp
1.50× Fair
Income $56k
Mineral County1hosp
1.50× Fair
Income $68k
Braxton County1hosp
1.50× Fair
Income $44k
Calhoun County1hosp
1.62× Fair
Income $41k
Logan County1hosp
1.86× Fair
Income $47k
Jefferson County1hosp
1.97× Fair
Income $96k
Showing top 24 counties with hospital price filings of 55 total in West Virginia

All Hospitals in Kanawha County (4)

Select any published hospital below to inspect its procedure price list, insurer discounts, and official MRF verification links.

MRF Compliance: 2 of 4 Published

Compare Procedure Prices Across All West Virginia Hospitals

View statewide surgical, imaging, colonoscopy, and ER price rankings across all West Virginia facilities.

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