Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments

Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center reported 1,109 Medicare inpatient stays across 38 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 6.6 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Georgia, number 8 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: 197 stays at an average charge of $97,996, 9% above the national average. It also billed 1,010 outpatient services, charging 15.49 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 1,109
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 6.6×
3Rank in GA (highest ratio = 1) 8 of 74
4CMS price-transparency actions 0

Average charge per stay at Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 38 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center charged more than the national average in 33 (87%). 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	197	$97,996	+9%	$15,292
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	78	$60,114	+7%	$11,736
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	60	$70,370	+18%	$11,186
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	55	$87,152	+23%	$14,138
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	46	$69,094	+15%	$10,157
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	40	$61,012	+19%	$9,118
682 Renal Failure with MCC	38	$71,671	+9%	$11,758
683 Renal Failure with CC	37	$38,621	-5%	$7,287
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	33	$73,273	+45%	$10,578
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	31	$49,053	+30%	$6,849
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	31	$57,280	+17%	$8,975
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	26	$109,278	+9%	$16,657
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	26	$40,260	+9%	$6,589
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	25	$150,802	+34%	$17,279
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	24	$128,398	+69%	$13,364
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	23	$74,347	+29%	$10,926
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	22	$46,730	-4%	$9,324
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	21	$64,315	+14%	$9,667
312 Syncope and Collapse	21	$51,286	+13%	$7,475
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	21	$173,439	+6%	$23,402
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	19	$47,015	+17%	$7,872
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	19	$87,541	+19%	$14,241
313 Chest Pain	17	$46,187	+16%	$6,447
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	17	$271,852	+19%	$40,092
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	15	$78,510	+41%	$9,308
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	15	$80,690	+26%	$13,064
603 Cellulitis without MCC	15	$31,871	-15%	$9,230
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	14	$63,774	-25%	$15,947
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	14	$141,524	+40%	$15,800
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	13	$45,148	+25%	$6,596
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	13	$164,406	+61%	$16,284
638 Diabetes with CC	13	$52,759	+27%	$7,729
069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic	12	$64,614	+28%	$7,140
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	12	$48,482	+26%	$7,126
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	12	$137,522	+20%	$17,031
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	12	$63,406	+30%	$8,012
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	11	$88,386	+45%	$9,418
811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC	11	$44,058	-35%	$14,497

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	160	$33,404	$2,414
Level 1 Intraocular Procedures	129	$32,098	$2,136
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	108	$28,625	$2,950
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	70	$19,914	$1,409
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	59	$83,274	$6,550
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	56	$54,009	$4,974
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	54	$138,776	$11,414
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	50	$32,745	$2,557
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	39	$61,054	$4,562
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	33	$34,626	$2,681
Level 4 Vascular Procedures	33	$75,436	$4,977
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	29	$46,229	$3,235
Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures	28	$189,718	$16,699
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	28	$13,076	$1,766
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	27	$103,873	$9,566
Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures	21	$20,513	$1,492
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	21	$20,321	$1,316
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	19	$38,016	$2,752
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	19	$20,051	$1,890
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	16	$39,815	$3,211
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	11	$165,235	$9,547

Against the Georgia average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center charged $97,996 on average, 15% more than the Georgia average of $85,396, and was paid $15,292 against a state average of $17,147. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center charged $60,114 on average, 14% more than the Georgia average of $52,781, and was paid $11,736 against a state average of $12,005. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center charged $70,370 on average, 25% more than the Georgia average of $56,349, and was paid $11,186 against a state average of $12,110. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Piedmont Cartersville Medical Center charged $87,152 on average, 32% more than the Georgia average of $66,006, and was paid $14,138 against a state average of $14,774. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $33,404 was 60% above the state average of $20,900. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $32,098 was 78% above the state average of $18,060. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $28,625 was 6% above the state average of $26,927. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $19,914 was 53% above the state average of $12,974.

Price-transparency record

No action in CMS's price-transparency enforcement list (July 2026) matches this hospital's exact name, city and state. That can mean CMS has not reviewed it, or that it is listed under a different name.

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.