North Carolina / UNC Health Blue Ridge
CMS certification 340075 · Morganton, NC
UNC Health Blue Ridge: charges and Medicare payments
UNC Health Blue Ridge reported 922 Medicare inpatient stays across 33 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.99 times what it was paid — mid-range in North Carolina, number 28 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: 194 stays at an average charge of $63,196, 30% below the national average. It also billed 1,157 outpatient services, charging 10.76 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 922
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.99×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 28 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 33 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, UNC Health Blue Ridge 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 | 194 | $63,196 | -30% | $15,394 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 81 | $42,725 | -24% | $10,831 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 58 | $51,022 | -28% | $13,781 |
| 885 Psychoses | 45 | $35,793 | -19% | $12,833 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 42 | $43,873 | -27% | $11,374 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 30 | $42,713 | -26% | $10,905 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 29 | $31,482 | -15% | $8,286 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 28 | $40,772 | -16% | $8,909 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 24 | $28,258 | -30% | $7,593 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 23 | $30,713 | -15% | $7,383 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 23 | $71,357 | -29% | $16,949 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 22 | $31,703 | -16% | $7,949 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 21 | $39,617 | -22% | $9,811 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 21 | $29,879 | -27% | $8,151 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 21 | $35,957 | -27% | $8,846 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 20 | $43,789 | -21% | $8,692 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 17 | $81,438 | -20% | $17,297 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 17 | $45,305 | -25% | $11,663 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 16 | $45,752 | -40% | $12,427 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 16 | $42,292 | -25% | $10,810 |
| 536 Fractures of Hip and Pelvis without MCC | 16 | $24,642 | -35% | $7,644 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 16 | $40,806 | -20% | $10,361 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 15 | $38,418 | 0% | $8,123 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 15 | $49,665 | -25% | $12,746 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 13 | $47,300 | -53% | $13,421 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 13 | $38,318 | -16% | $8,199 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 13 | $38,136 | -2% | $8,217 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 13 | $25,835 | -31% | $8,257 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 13 | $38,710 | -13% | $8,565 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 12 | $108,080 | -20% | $22,240 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 12 | $77,628 | -35% | $19,796 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 12 | $130,620 | -43% | $33,141 |
| 069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic | 11 | $34,226 | -32% | $7,483 |
Outpatient services
Against the North Carolina average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), UNC Health Blue Ridge charged $63,196 on average, 11% more than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $15,394 against a state average of $16,444. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), UNC Health Blue Ridge charged $42,725 on average, 19% more than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $10,831 against a state average of $11,305. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), UNC Health Blue Ridge charged $51,022 on average, 7% more than the North Carolina average of $47,554, and was paid $13,781 against a state average of $14,260. For Psychoses (DRG 885), UNC Health Blue Ridge charged $35,793 on average, 0% less than the North Carolina average of $35,803, and was paid $12,833 against a state average of $12,625. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $22,506 was 20% above the state average of $18,779. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $17,037 was 51% above the state average of $11,289. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $13,008 was 38% above the state average of $9,423. For Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5114), its average charge of $58,775 was 51% above the state average of $38,985.
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.