Prices at 4 hospitals in Montana, from their machine-readable files.
Cash / self-pay (median)
$43
Chargemaster (median)
$54
Insurer-negotiated (median)
$44
Medicare pays
$16
$33$44
Median cash $43 · Medicare $16 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Typical cash range: $33 – $44. The median cash price is about 2.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Health Center | Sidney, MT | $30 | $47 | ★ 3/5 | 152 min | 14.7% |
| Big Sandy Medical Center | Big Sandy, MT | $43 | $53 | — | 72 min | — |
| Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital | Bozeman, MT | $45 | $41 | ★ 4/5 | 142 min | 14.4% |
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.