Prices at 5 hospitals in Montana, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,096 — about the US median ($3,169), roughly 3.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidney Health Center | Sidney, MT | $3,096 | $4,750 | ★ 3/5 | 152 min | 14.7% |
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 July 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 $3,096 — about 3.0× the Medicare rate ($1,023). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($2,047).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,000 list price could save about $1,904 (38%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
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