Arkansas / Arkansas Methodist Medical Center
CMS certification 040039 · Paragould, AR · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Arkansas Methodist Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Arkansas Methodist Medical Center reported 270 Medicare inpatient stays across 10 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.68 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Arkansas, number 27 of 32 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.99×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 84 stays at an average charge of $38,928, 57% below the national average. It also billed 401 outpatient services, charging 5.48 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 270
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.68×
- 3Rank in AR (highest ratio = 1) 27 of 32
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 4
Inpatient stays
For the 10 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Arkansas Methodist Medical Center charged more than the national average in 0 (0%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.
| DRG | Stays | Avg charge | vs US | Avg paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 84 | $38,928 | -57% | $13,305 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 37 | $17,462 | -69% | $8,931 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 26 | $13,090 | -65% | $6,002 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 23 | $24,538 | -59% | $9,076 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 22 | $22,660 | -55% | $7,935 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 22 | $23,802 | -54% | $8,273 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 17 | $15,588 | -68% | $7,586 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 16 | $13,018 | -68% | $6,132 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 12 | $14,920 | -48% | $4,535 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 11 | $24,669 | -36% | $6,337 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 132 | $6,564 | $2,309 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 71 | $12,752 | $2,731 |
| Level 3 Endovascular Procedures | 44 | $45,222 | $9,274 |
| Level 2 Endovascular Procedures | 29 | $18,966 | $4,821 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 24 | $10,801 | $1,629 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 22 | $12,874 | $2,630 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 16 | $8,137 | $1,355 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 16 | $21,619 | $2,521 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 13 | $15,131 | $4,867 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 12 | $9,097 | $1,605 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 11 | $22,253 | $6,034 |
| Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures | 11 | $11,341 | $2,637 |
Against the Arkansas average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Arkansas Methodist Medical Center charged $38,928 on average, 31% less than the Arkansas average of $56,298, and was paid $13,305 against a state average of $14,253. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Arkansas Methodist Medical Center charged $17,462 on average, 53% less than the Arkansas average of $37,089, and was paid $8,931 against a state average of $9,423. For Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC (DRG 690), Arkansas Methodist Medical Center charged $13,090 on average, 44% less than the Arkansas average of $23,251, and was paid $6,002 against a state average of $6,160. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Arkansas Methodist Medical Center charged $24,538 on average, 40% less than the Arkansas average of $41,156, and was paid $9,076 against a state average of $9,550. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $6,564 was 57% below the state average of $15,198. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $12,752 was 13% below the state average of $14,661. For Level 3 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5193), its average charge of $45,222 was 5% below the state average of $47,808. For Level 2 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5192), its average charge of $18,966 was 26% below the state average of $25,604.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould, AR, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2024-09-10 (CMS case 2621)
- CAP Request — 2024-12-18 (CMS case 2621)
- CMP Notice — 2025-05-13 (CMS case 2621)
- Closure Notice — 2025-06-25 (CMS case 2621)
A warning notice or corrective-action request is not a finding of wrongdoing; "Met Requirements" and closure notices record that CMS's review ended. Matched to this hospital by exact name, city and state.
Charges are the hospital's list prices averaged over its 2024 Medicare cases; payments are what those cases actually brought in. Neither is what you will pay. For a planned procedure, ask the hospital for its price estimate or, if you are uninsured or self-paying, a good-faith estimate.
Sources: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Medicare Outpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes, July 2026. Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.