Arkansas / Ouachita County Medical Center
CMS certification 040050 · Camden, AR · 6 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Ouachita County Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Ouachita County Medical Center reported 115 Medicare inpatient stays across 7 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.33 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Arkansas, number 30 of 32 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.99×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 28 stays at an average charge of $33,429, 63% below the national average. It also billed 223 outpatient services, charging 5.14 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 115
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.33×
- 3Rank in AR (highest ratio = 1) 30 of 32
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 6
Inpatient stays
For the 7 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Ouachita County 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 | 28 | $33,429 | -63% | $15,384 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 21 | $17,668 | -69% | $10,478 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 16 | $22,537 | -50% | $8,183 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 15 | $21,966 | -43% | $7,115 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 13 | $31,013 | -56% | $13,368 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 11 | $27,755 | -54% | $10,468 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 11 | $20,129 | -47% | $6,960 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 161 | $9,861 | $2,461 |
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 20 | $11,034 | $2,105 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 19 | $10,073 | $2,949 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 12 | $12,889 | $2,160 |
| Level 3 Endovascular Procedures | 11 | $37,646 | $9,930 |
Against the Arkansas average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Ouachita County Medical Center charged $33,429 on average, 41% less than the Arkansas average of $56,298, and was paid $15,384 against a state average of $14,253. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Ouachita County Medical Center charged $17,668 on average, 52% less than the Arkansas average of $37,089, and was paid $10,478 against a state average of $9,423. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC (DRG 178), Ouachita County Medical Center charged $22,537 on average, 20% less than the Arkansas average of $28,329, and was paid $8,183 against a state average of $7,349. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC (DRG 194), Ouachita County Medical Center charged $21,966 on average, 17% less than the Arkansas average of $26,620, and was paid $7,115 against a state average of $6,320. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $9,861 was 35% below the state average of $15,198. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $11,034 was 9% above the state average of $10,133. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $10,073 was 31% below the state average of $14,661. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $12,889 was 11% below the state average of $14,526.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Ouachita County Medical Center in Camden, AR, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-06-16 (CMS case 846)
- CAP Request — 2023-11-03 (CMS case 846)
- Closure Notice — 2024-04-03 (CMS case 846)
- Warning Notice — 2026-01-16 (CMS case 6820)
- CAP Request — 2026-04-21 (CMS case 6820)
- Closure Notice — 2026-06-05 (CMS case 6820)
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.