North Carolina / Atrium Health University City
CMS certification 340166 · Charlotte, NC · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Atrium Health University City: charges and Medicare payments
Atrium Health University City reported 497 Medicare inpatient stays across 22 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 4.38 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in North Carolina, number 22 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: 70 stays at an average charge of $46,034, 18% below the national average. It also billed 829 outpatient services, charging 9.32 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 497
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 4.38×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 22 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 4
Inpatient stays
For the 22 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Atrium Health University City charged more than the national average in 6 (27%). 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 | 70 | $46,034 | -18% | $12,020 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 60 | $74,940 | -17% | $17,278 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 27 | $56,466 | -6% | $12,019 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 26 | $56,075 | -6% | $11,866 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 25 | $38,017 | +3% | $8,617 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 24 | $47,418 | -2% | $10,637 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 24 | $31,044 | -18% | $9,096 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 23 | $37,873 | -1% | $9,241 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 22 | $36,726 | -10% | $9,507 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 21 | $73,689 | +4% | $15,587 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 19 | $39,622 | -1% | $8,720 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 19 | $67,806 | -8% | $14,536 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 16 | $54,676 | +7% | $12,059 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 15 | $95,334 | +40% | $19,021 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 15 | $49,320 | +11% | $9,656 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 14 | $36,595 | -20% | $9,275 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 14 | $64,374 | -2% | $13,329 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 13 | $73,814 | -26% | $20,582 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 13 | $43,389 | -25% | $11,355 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 13 | $141,319 | -38% | $31,878 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 12 | $53,187 | -5% | $10,778 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 12 | $102,305 | +2% | $17,417 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 208 | $21,371 | $2,381 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 82 | $12,103 | $2,809 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 79 | $85,536 | $11,683 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 79 | $24,152 | $1,717 |
| Level 3 Urology and Related Services | 65 | $15,603 | $1,785 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 50 | $34,692 | $4,649 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 46 | $20,344 | $3,078 |
| Level 2 Neurostimulator and Related Procedures | 38 | $39,091 | $5,370 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 36 | $9,068 | $1,335 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 29 | $11,129 | $1,710 |
| Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 20 | $26,070 | $2,452 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 19 | $52,804 | $4,543 |
| Level 2 Vascular Procedures | 17 | $5,927 | $1,439 |
| Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures | 16 | $22,485 | $3,109 |
| Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 12 | $91,303 | $7,980 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 11 | $11,922 | $1,444 |
| Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures | 11 | $31,473 | $2,809 |
| Level 5 Neurostimulator and Related Procedures | 11 | $126,027 | $27,822 |
Against the North Carolina average
For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Atrium Health University City charged $46,034 on average, 29% more than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $12,020 against a state average of $11,305. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Atrium Health University City charged $74,940 on average, 32% more than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $17,278 against a state average of $16,444. For Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes with MCC (DRG 640), Atrium Health University City charged $56,466 on average, 41% more than the North Carolina average of $39,993, and was paid $12,019 against a state average of $12,134. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Atrium Health University City charged $56,075 on average, 41% more than the North Carolina average of $39,905, and was paid $11,866 against a state average of $11,523. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $21,371 was 14% above the state average of $18,779. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $12,103 was 29% below the state average of $17,111. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $85,536 was 40% above the state average of $61,166. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $24,152 was 103% above the state average of $11,910.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Atrium Health University City in Charlotte, NC, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2021-05-18 (CMS case 43)
- CAP Request — 2021-10-27 (CMS case 43)
- Closure Notice — 2021-12-02 (CMS case 43)
- Met Requirements — 2025-06-25 (CMS case 5349)
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.