North Carolina / Atrium Health Lincoln
CMS certification 340145 · Lincolnton, NC · 1 entry in CMS's price-transparency list
Atrium Health Lincoln: charges and Medicare payments
Atrium Health Lincoln reported 702 Medicare inpatient stays across 27 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.6 times what it was paid — mid-range in North Carolina, number 35 of 73 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.55×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 291, Heart Failure and Shock with MCC: 94 stays at an average charge of $35,931, 36% below the national average. It also billed 549 outpatient services, charging 10.8 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 702
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.6×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 35 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 1
Inpatient stays
For the 27 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Atrium Health Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 94 | $35,931 | -36% | $11,805 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 80 | $60,680 | -33% | $17,839 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 61 | $40,552 | -32% | $12,203 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 43 | $49,087 | -30% | $15,055 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 35 | $34,841 | -9% | $7,731 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 32 | $36,236 | -29% | $10,729 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 30 | $33,640 | -16% | $7,666 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 26 | $26,747 | -29% | $7,566 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 24 | $24,759 | -34% | $8,278 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 23 | $31,865 | -22% | $8,366 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 22 | $44,378 | -23% | $11,624 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 22 | $32,772 | -35% | $10,149 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 22 | $29,264 | -21% | $7,315 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 21 | $50,396 | -10% | $9,947 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 16 | $30,698 | -32% | $9,186 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 15 | $64,654 | -35% | $19,328 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 15 | $42,566 | -29% | $12,613 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 14 | $41,331 | -15% | $9,162 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 14 | $92,616 | -9% | $19,136 |
| 191 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CC | 13 | $35,291 | -11% | $8,031 |
| 069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic | 12 | $44,027 | -13% | $7,516 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 12 | $44,507 | -21% | $11,111 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 12 | $51,466 | -22% | $13,808 |
| 066 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction without... | 11 | $37,935 | -10% | $8,773 |
| 175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale | 11 | $47,153 | -28% | $13,079 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 11 | $39,887 | -35% | $12,011 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 11 | $37,068 | -16% | $8,427 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 201 | $23,295 | $2,421 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 81 | $9,779 | $1,414 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 48 | $21,754 | $1,735 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 35 | $12,642 | $1,671 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 26 | $37,840 | $5,185 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 25 | $85,805 | $11,811 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 24 | $47,046 | $4,649 |
| Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures | 19 | $28,944 | $2,574 |
| Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures | 18 | $22,462 | $3,109 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 17 | $17,403 | $2,864 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 16 | $64,633 | $6,428 |
| Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures | 15 | $26,469 | $3,425 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 12 | $35,189 | $3,133 |
| Level 2 Neurostimulator and Related Procedures | 12 | $41,740 | $6,145 |
Against the North Carolina average
For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Atrium Health Lincoln charged $35,931 on average, 0% less than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $11,805 against a state average of $11,305. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Atrium Health Lincoln charged $60,680 on average, 7% more than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $17,839 against a state average of $16,444. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Atrium Health Lincoln charged $40,552 on average, 2% more than the North Carolina average of $39,905, and was paid $12,203 against a state average of $11,523. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Atrium Health Lincoln charged $49,087 on average, 3% more than the North Carolina average of $47,554, and was paid $15,055 against a state average of $14,260. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $23,295 was 24% above the state average of $18,779. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $9,779 was 4% above the state average of $9,423. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $21,754 was 83% above the state average of $11,910. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $12,642 was 12% above the state average of $11,289.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Atrium Health Lincoln in Lincolnton, NC, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2025-06-25 (CMS case 5352)
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.