North Carolina / Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center
CMS certification 340195 · Charlotte, NC · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center reported 279 Medicare inpatient stays across 12 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.85 times what it was paid — mid-range in North Carolina, number 30 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: 61 stays at an average charge of $39,333, 56% below the national average. It also billed 278 outpatient services, charging 9.64 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 279
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.85×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 30 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 12 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Novant Health Ballantyne 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 | 61 | $39,333 | -56% | $12,121 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 46 | $33,952 | -40% | $8,084 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 26 | $40,491 | -43% | $9,737 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 22 | $30,630 | -49% | $7,745 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 20 | $25,078 | -38% | $4,991 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 18 | $31,088 | -46% | $8,171 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 17 | $25,748 | -32% | $5,252 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 17 | $28,193 | -43% | $7,778 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 16 | $22,827 | -38% | $6,037 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 13 | $29,012 | -43% | $7,280 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 12 | $33,480 | -35% | $7,582 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 11 | $25,916 | -47% | $7,265 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 159 | $20,472 | $2,424 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 26 | $11,267 | $1,703 |
| Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures | 18 | $32,896 | $5,828 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 16 | $10,900 | $1,455 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 14 | $9,714 | $1,440 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 12 | $59,673 | $6,397 |
| Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures | 11 | $17,689 | $3,407 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 11 | $38,874 | $5,166 |
| Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures | 11 | $17,912 | $2,799 |
Against the North Carolina average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center charged $39,333 on average, 31% less than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $12,121 against a state average of $16,444. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center charged $33,952 on average, 5% less than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $8,084 against a state average of $11,305. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center charged $40,491 on average, 15% less than the North Carolina average of $47,554, and was paid $9,737 against a state average of $14,260. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center charged $30,630 on average, 23% less than the North Carolina average of $39,905, and was paid $7,745 against a state average of $11,523. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $20,472 was 9% above the state average of $18,779. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $11,267 was 0% below the state average of $11,289. For Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures (outpatient APC 5092), its average charge of $32,896 was 10% below the state average of $36,391. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $10,900 was 16% above the state average of $9,423.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center in Charlotte, NC, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- CAP Request — 2025-08-22 (CMS case 6333)
- Closure Notice — 2025-09-29 (CMS case 6333)
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.