Georgia / Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center
CMS certification 110074 · Athens, GA · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center reported 4,539 Medicare inpatient stays across 118 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 4.76 times what it was paid — mid-range in Georgia, number 33 of 74 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.44×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 690 stays at an average charge of $72,256, 20% below the national average. It also billed 3,744 outpatient services, charging 10.62 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 4,539
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 4.76×
- 3Rank in GA (highest ratio = 1) 33 of 74
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 4
Inpatient stays
For the 118 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center charged more than the national average in 22 (19%). 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 | 690 | $72,256 | -20% | $16,877 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 378 | $48,261 | -14% | $11,529 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 152 | $41,398 | -16% | $9,505 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 88 | $29,427 | -19% | $7,672 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 88 | $41,706 | -14% | $9,600 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 86 | $179,638 | -22% | $38,408 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 84 | $49,470 | -17% | $11,479 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 83 | $111,353 | +11% | $18,133 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 81 | $32,113 | -20% | $7,880 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 80 | $52,082 | -26% | $14,102 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 72 | $41,224 | -27% | $11,291 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 63 | $41,522 | -9% | $8,254 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 62 | $43,945 | -14% | $10,742 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 61 | $60,683 | -17% | $14,046 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 60 | $51,300 | -11% | $11,978 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 59 | $51,738 | -14% | $12,133 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 58 | $44,561 | -20% | $9,717 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 57 | $28,855 | -24% | $7,581 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 55 | $66,859 | -33% | $15,565 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 55 | $164,697 | +5% | $28,833 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 54 | $42,222 | -17% | $10,044 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 53 | $33,460 | -10% | $7,559 |
| 266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 52 | $296,127 | +4% | $49,670 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 46 | $62,041 | -18% | $14,134 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 46 | $46,704 | -23% | $11,951 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 46 | $38,334 | -22% | $9,198 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 45 | $63,492 | -26% | $15,263 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 45 | $40,039 | -2% | $9,302 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 41 | $21,583 | -25% | $6,282 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 40 | $114,609 | +12% | $19,110 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 40 | $49,233 | -25% | $13,084 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 37 | $100,190 | -16% | $22,967 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 36 | $115,666 | +1% | $16,019 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 36 | $30,898 | -21% | $7,899 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 36 | $31,700 | -29% | $8,484 |
| 854 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 36 | $67,787 | -31% | $17,533 |
| 305 Hypertension without MCC | 35 | $28,720 | -28% | $7,644 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 35 | $27,987 | -25% | $8,373 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 34 | $150,812 | -8% | $22,680 |
| 331 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures without CC/MCC | 31 | $81,372 | -5% | $15,735 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 29 | $45,935 | -9% | $8,563 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 28 | $37,393 | -17% | $8,751 |
| 236 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization without MCC | 27 | $231,900 | +10% | $39,352 |
| 313 Chest Pain | 27 | $32,969 | -17% | $6,661 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 26 | $137,743 | -1% | $23,786 |
| 092 Other Disorders of Nervous System with CC | 25 | $33,470 | -35% | $10,014 |
| 083 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour with CC | 24 | $49,710 | -32% | $12,007 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 24 | $38,802 | -18% | $9,798 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 23 | $175,490 | -24% | $38,593 |
| 493 Lower Extremity and Humerus Procedures except Hip, Foot and... | 23 | $130,889 | +10% | $19,473 |
| 948 Signs and Symptoms without MCC | 23 | $30,745 | -19% | $7,170 |
| 070 Other Cerebrovascular Disorders with MCC | 22 | $68,550 | -10% | $13,811 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 22 | $32,331 | -16% | $7,822 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 22 | $180,752 | -16% | $39,349 |
| 536 Fractures of Hip and Pelvis without MCC | 22 | $34,783 | -8% | $7,710 |
| 220 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures... | 21 | $358,697 | +30% | $42,393 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 21 | $33,520 | -29% | $8,770 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 21 | $59,089 | -13% | $11,885 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 21 | $269,011 | -17% | $45,369 |
| 086 Traumatic Stupor and Coma <1 Hour with CC | 20 | $46,468 | -32% | $11,121 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 118 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Georgia average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center charged $72,256 on average, 15% less than the Georgia average of $85,396, and was paid $16,877 against a state average of $17,147. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center charged $48,261 on average, 9% less than the Georgia average of $52,781, and was paid $11,529 against a state average of $12,005. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center charged $41,398 on average, 5% less than the Georgia average of $43,563, and was paid $9,505 against a state average of $9,785. For Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC (DRG 309), Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center charged $29,427 on average, 14% less than the Georgia average of $34,172, and was paid $7,672 against a state average of $7,518. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $21,993 was 5% above the state average of $20,900. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $14,806 was 14% above the state average of $12,974. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $27,765 was 3% above the state average of $26,927. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $15,242 was 2% above the state average of $14,925.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center in Athens, GA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-08-08 (CMS case 651)
- CAP Request — 2023-11-14 (CMS case 651)
- Closure Notice — 2024-03-14 (CMS case 651)
- Met Requirements — 2025-08-19 (CMS case 6324)
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.