North Carolina / Columbus Regional Healthcare System
CMS certification 340068 · Whiteville, NC · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Columbus Regional Healthcare System: charges and Medicare payments
Columbus Regional Healthcare System reported 345 Medicare inpatient stays across 13 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.21 times what it was paid — mid-range in North Carolina, number 46 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: 99 stays at an average charge of $41,602, 54% below the national average. It also billed 777 outpatient services, charging 8.53 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 345
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.21×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 46 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 13 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Columbus Regional Healthcare System 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 | 99 | $41,602 | -54% | $13,394 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 65 | $28,111 | -50% | $9,398 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 25 | $24,473 | -50% | $7,552 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 21 | $38,350 | -46% | $12,073 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 18 | $61,111 | -34% | $13,470 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 17 | $32,817 | -32% | $7,927 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 16 | $37,834 | -43% | $10,339 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 15 | $20,193 | -60% | $7,937 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 15 | $37,402 | -37% | $9,494 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 15 | $25,662 | -50% | $8,284 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 14 | $23,708 | -57% | $7,230 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 13 | $20,624 | -45% | $6,267 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 12 | $85,422 | -63% | $33,984 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 193 | $13,853 | $2,372 |
| Level 3 Urology and Related Services | 76 | $17,976 | $1,754 |
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 73 | $14,043 | $2,028 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 71 | $21,108 | $3,000 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 62 | $12,576 | $1,634 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 59 | $25,376 | $4,503 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 37 | $22,844 | $2,774 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 37 | $36,134 | $5,021 |
| Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 36 | $58,521 | $8,954 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 17 | $14,120 | $1,411 |
| Level 2 Endovascular Procedures | 17 | $25,655 | $4,974 |
| Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures | 16 | $19,127 | $3,317 |
| Level 2 Vascular Procedures | 15 | $10,872 | $1,394 |
| Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures | 15 | $29,489 | $3,011 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 14 | $20,801 | $2,817 |
| Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures | 14 | $16,011 | $2,411 |
| Level 5 Gynecologic Procedures | 14 | $30,915 | $4,082 |
| Level 4 Airway Endoscopy | 11 | $14,027 | $3,259 |
Against the North Carolina average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Columbus Regional Healthcare System charged $41,602 on average, 27% less than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $13,394 against a state average of $16,444. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Columbus Regional Healthcare System charged $28,111 on average, 21% less than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $9,398 against a state average of $11,305. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Columbus Regional Healthcare System charged $24,473 on average, 27% less than the North Carolina average of $33,328, and was paid $7,552 against a state average of $9,375. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Columbus Regional Healthcare System charged $38,350 on average, 19% less than the North Carolina average of $47,554, and was paid $12,073 against a state average of $14,260. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $13,853 was 26% below the state average of $18,779. For Level 3 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5373), its average charge of $17,976 was 63% above the state average of $11,021. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $14,043 was 38% above the state average of $10,153. For Level 4 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5374), its average charge of $21,108 was 11% above the state average of $19,065.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Columbus Regional Healthcare System in Whiteville, NC, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2025-06-27 (CMS case 5353)
- Closure Notice — 2025-08-07 (CMS case 5353)
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.