Prices at 4 hospitals in Montana, from their machine-readable files.
Cash / self-pay (median)
$47
Chargemaster (median)
$67
Insurer-negotiated (median)
$40
Medicare pays
$38
$42$53
Median cash $47 · Medicare $38 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Typical cash range: $42 – $53. The median cash price is about 1.2× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Health Center | Sidney, MT | $40 | $54 | ★ 3/5 | 152 min | 14.7% |
| Big Sandy Medical Center | Big Sandy, MT | $54 | $67 | — | 72 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.