Prices at 16 hospitals in Montana, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $815 — 40% below the US median ($1,361), roughly 5.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Luke Community Hospital | Ronan, MT | $236 | $395 | — | 109 min | — |
| St Peters Health | Helena, MT | $328 | $328 | ★ 3/5 | 179 min | — |
| Sidney Health Center | Sidney, MT | $534 | $266 | ★ 3/5 | 152 min | — |
| Fallon Medical Complex Hospital | Baker, MT | $663 | $509 | — | 102 min | — |
| Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital | Bozeman, MT | $665 | $1,634 | ★ 4/5 | 142 min | — |
| Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center | Big Sky, MT | $714 | $1,634 | — | 107 min | — |
| Poplar Community Hospital | Poplar, MT | $738 | $1,008 | — | 89 min | — |
| Big Sandy Medical Center | Big Sandy, MT | $814 | $988 | — | 77 min | — |
| Phillips County Hospital-CAH | Malta, MT | $817 | $269 | — | 78 min | — |
| Roosevelt Medical Center | Culbertson, MT | $1,229 | $742 | — | 100 min | — |
| Clark Fork Valley Hospital | Plains, MT | $1,251 | $681 | — | 148 min | — |
| Billings Clinic | Billings, MT | $1,280 | — | ★ 4/5 | 176 min | — |
| Billings Clinic Broadwater | Townsend, MT | $1,280 | — | — | 76 min | — |
| Benefis Hospitals Inc | Great Falls, MT | $1,478 | $2,390 | ★ 2/5 | 186 min | — |
| Missouri River Medical Center | Fort Benton, MT | $1,478 | $2,390 | — | 106 min | — |
| Benefis Teton Medical Center | Choteau, MT | $1,478 | $2,341 | — | 94 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. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $815 — about 5.7× the Medicare rate ($143). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($286).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,000 list price could save about $185 (18%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Chest tube insertion cost in other states
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