North Carolina / Carolina East Medical Center
CMS certification 340131 · New Bern, NC · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Carolina East Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Carolina East Medical Center reported 3,371 Medicare inpatient stays across 93 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.08 times what it was paid — mid-range in North Carolina, number 47 of 73 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.55×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 329 stays at an average charge of $43,328, 52% below the national average. It also billed 6,530 outpatient services, charging 5.38 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 3,371
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.08×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 47 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 3
Inpatient stays
For the 93 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Carolina East Medical Center charged more than the national average in 1 (1%). 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 | 329 | $43,328 | -52% | $16,834 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 217 | $28,175 | -50% | $10,945 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 152 | $39,402 | -44% | $14,164 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 117 | $27,436 | -52% | $10,521 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 116 | $28,650 | -52% | $11,164 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 107 | $142,693 | -9% | $27,109 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 95 | $17,670 | -51% | $6,413 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 81 | $30,090 | -56% | $11,789 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 70 | $27,814 | -46% | $9,887 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 65 | $16,039 | -44% | $4,686 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 63 | $50,187 | -50% | $17,511 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 60 | $19,259 | -48% | $7,660 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 55 | $92,418 | -60% | $43,196 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 49 | $33,463 | -49% | $12,810 |
| 885 Psychoses | 49 | $19,072 | -57% | $11,488 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 48 | $29,116 | -49% | $10,194 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 48 | $37,011 | -50% | $13,959 |
| 267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 47 | $223,409 | +1% | $42,207 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 46 | $41,094 | -59% | $16,863 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 44 | $32,954 | -41% | $8,632 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 44 | $24,150 | -41% | $7,695 |
| 234 Coronary Bypass with Cardiac Catheterization or Open... | 42 | $147,966 | -45% | $43,928 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 42 | $71,255 | -38% | $17,526 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 39 | $23,492 | -38% | $7,229 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 37 | $28,401 | -53% | $11,153 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 36 | $25,540 | -50% | $9,303 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 36 | $27,316 | -44% | $8,300 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 35 | $92,818 | -43% | $25,272 |
| 039 Extracranial Procedures without CC/MCC | 33 | $22,638 | -65% | $9,623 |
| 236 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization without MCC | 32 | $95,011 | -55% | $34,372 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 32 | $24,384 | -39% | $6,632 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 31 | $29,185 | -40% | $8,726 |
| 951 Other Factors Influencing Health Status | 30 | $14,285 | -44% | $4,935 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 29 | $43,281 | -32% | $10,247 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 29 | $36,022 | -58% | $15,144 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 29 | $27,207 | -43% | $8,596 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 28 | $21,810 | -43% | $7,105 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 28 | $41,424 | -45% | $13,365 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 28 | $49,087 | -56% | $18,192 |
| 243 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with CC | 26 | $84,390 | -24% | $19,774 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 25 | $95,382 | -56% | $38,476 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 25 | $53,489 | -48% | $17,735 |
| 175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale | 24 | $29,115 | -55% | $11,871 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 23 | $34,513 | -32% | $7,731 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 23 | $75,973 | -36% | $21,803 |
| 253 Other Vascular Procedures with CC | 22 | $73,330 | -44% | $22,595 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 22 | $24,486 | -46% | $7,306 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 22 | $20,560 | -51% | $7,624 |
| 602 Cellulitis with MCC | 21 | $33,772 | -44% | $12,477 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 21 | $22,290 | -50% | $7,651 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 20 | $27,798 | -39% | $8,324 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 20 | $18,699 | -50% | $6,582 |
| 981 Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated To Principal Diagnosis... | 20 | $121,741 | -44% | $43,315 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 19 | $52,863 | -61% | $22,696 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 19 | $30,382 | -54% | $12,231 |
| 071 Other Cerebrovascular Disorders with CC | 18 | $32,241 | -36% | $8,910 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 18 | $22,986 | -41% | $6,744 |
| 543 Pathological Fractures and Musculoskeletal and Connective... | 18 | $25,581 | -48% | $9,127 |
| 069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic | 17 | $33,131 | -34% | $6,772 |
| 240 Amputation for Circulatory System Disorders except Upper... | 17 | $60,270 | -53% | $24,906 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 93 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the North Carolina average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Carolina East Medical Center charged $43,328 on average, 24% less than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $16,834 against a state average of $16,444. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Carolina East Medical Center charged $28,175 on average, 21% less than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $10,945 against a state average of $11,305. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Carolina East Medical Center charged $39,402 on average, 17% less than the North Carolina average of $47,554, and was paid $14,164 against a state average of $14,260. For Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure (DRG 189), Carolina East Medical Center charged $27,436 on average, 33% less than the North Carolina average of $41,108, and was paid $10,521 against a state average of $11,347. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $7,221 was 29% below the state average of $10,153. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $14,811 was 21% below the state average of $18,779. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $47,262 was 23% below the state average of $61,166. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $6,117 was 35% below the state average of $9,423.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Carolina East Medical Center in New Bern, NC, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2023-01-17 (CMS case 853)
- Met Requirements — 2024-03-26 (CMS case 2440)
- Met Requirements — 2025-07-16 (CMS case 5789)
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.