Alabama / Highlands Medical Center
CMS certification 010061 · Scottsboro, AL · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Highlands Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Highlands Medical Center reported 198 Medicare inpatient stays across 10 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.1 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Alabama, number 43 of 45 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.24×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 35 stays at an average charge of $29,302, 68% below the national average. It also billed 293 outpatient services, charging 5.29 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 198
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.1×
- 3Rank in AL (highest ratio = 1) 43 of 45
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 10 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Highlands 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 | 35 | $29,302 | -68% | $13,860 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 29 | $14,224 | -62% | $6,940 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 22 | $26,366 | -63% | $13,298 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 21 | $17,159 | -67% | $9,321 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 20 | $18,252 | -69% | $10,403 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 18 | $13,867 | -65% | $6,751 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 17 | $20,355 | -64% | $10,058 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 13 | $46,849 | -54% | $16,062 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 12 | $12,799 | -69% | $7,503 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 11 | $18,303 | -52% | $6,847 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 110 | $9,610 | $2,440 |
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 32 | $6,275 | $2,134 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 27 | $7,945 | $1,768 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 23 | $18,196 | $3,192 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 18 | $9,334 | $1,485 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 18 | $23,441 | $6,261 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 17 | $19,363 | $4,738 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 14 | $6,273 | $1,742 |
| Level 2 Vascular Procedures | 12 | $6,230 | $1,369 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 11 | $6,534 | $1,472 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 11 | $15,003 | $2,919 |
Against the Alabama average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Highlands Medical Center charged $29,302 on average, 63% less than the Alabama average of $80,125, and was paid $13,860 against a state average of $14,647. For Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC (DRG 690), Highlands Medical Center charged $14,224 on average, 51% less than the Alabama average of $29,176, and was paid $6,940 against a state average of $6,893. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Highlands Medical Center charged $26,366 on average, 56% less than the Alabama average of $59,377, and was paid $13,298 against a state average of $12,400. For Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC (DRG 689), Highlands Medical Center charged $17,159 on average, 61% less than the Alabama average of $44,273, and was paid $9,321 against a state average of $9,038. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $9,610 was 42% below the state average of $16,650. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $6,275 was 39% below the state average of $10,352. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $7,945 was 45% below the state average of $14,549. For Level 4 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5374), its average charge of $18,196 was 42% below the state average of $31,204.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Highlands Medical Center in Scottsboro, AL, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- CAP Request — 2024-10-31 (CMS case 2867)
- Closure Notice — 2025-01-23 (CMS case 2867)
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.