North Carolina / UNC Hospitals
CMS certification 340061 · Chapel Hill, NC
UNC Hospitals: charges and Medicare payments
UNC Hospitals reported 4,708 Medicare inpatient stays across 170 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.54 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in North Carolina, number 60 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: 250 stays at an average charge of $80,528, 11% below the national average. It also billed 7,469 outpatient services, charging 4.78 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 4,708
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.54×
- 3Rank in NC (highest ratio = 1) 60 of 73
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 170 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, UNC Hospitals charged more than the national average in 14 (8%). 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 | 250 | $80,528 | -11% | $28,791 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 147 | $44,739 | -21% | $19,791 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 101 | $50,625 | -28% | $24,411 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 69 | $23,270 | -42% | $12,184 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 68 | $54,626 | -9% | $23,359 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 67 | $56,451 | +19% | $20,346 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 66 | $41,951 | -30% | $19,683 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 66 | $26,903 | -27% | $13,086 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 63 | $27,985 | -26% | $13,543 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 63 | $61,320 | -16% | $26,598 |
| 847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis... | 63 | $50,609 | -25% | $19,835 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 60 | $63,237 | +10% | $21,639 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 59 | $32,884 | -19% | $14,614 |
| 267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 54 | $88,539 | -60% | $47,912 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 53 | $43,232 | -22% | $14,559 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 52 | $31,977 | -29% | $14,949 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 52 | $27,652 | -26% | $14,837 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 51 | $57,990 | -38% | $23,765 |
| 314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC | 49 | $102,850 | +8% | $39,618 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 49 | $36,415 | -26% | $16,325 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 48 | $83,424 | -30% | $33,928 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 47 | $66,396 | -34% | $27,451 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 46 | $68,657 | -40% | $23,010 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 45 | $112,860 | -51% | $43,752 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 45 | $24,187 | -37% | $12,661 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 43 | $71,144 | -29% | $26,067 |
| 164 Major Chest Procedures with CC | 43 | $74,166 | -42% | $29,928 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 43 | $25,770 | -29% | $12,199 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 42 | $95,675 | -15% | $34,050 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 42 | $133,212 | -38% | $56,755 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 41 | $51,693 | -9% | $22,945 |
| 003 ECMO or Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal... | 40 | $959,410 | -9% | $314,299 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 40 | $40,451 | -17% | $14,829 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 40 | $41,888 | -18% | $19,590 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 39 | $65,710 | -58% | $33,628 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 37 | $118,849 | +39% | $43,537 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 37 | $188,309 | -18% | $66,602 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 36 | $32,749 | -26% | $15,307 |
| 884 Organic Disturbances and Intellectual Disability | 36 | $61,583 | -1% | $33,133 |
| 163 Major Chest Procedures with MCC | 35 | $108,576 | -48% | $50,481 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 35 | $64,184 | -37% | $27,540 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 34 | $37,679 | -45% | $18,953 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 33 | $27,870 | -39% | $13,297 |
| 315 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with CC | 33 | $36,910 | -23% | $15,113 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 32 | $40,577 | -34% | $18,352 |
| 027 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures without... | 31 | $61,373 | -56% | $26,641 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 31 | $45,512 | -7% | $15,951 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 31 | $40,194 | -21% | $17,584 |
| 191 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CC | 31 | $29,172 | -26% | $13,205 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 31 | $34,387 | -27% | $14,962 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 31 | $63,330 | -4% | $23,681 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 30 | $46,018 | -39% | $21,861 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 30 | $40,320 | -37% | $15,564 |
| 269 Aortic and Heart Assist Procedures except Pulsation Balloon... | 29 | $126,597 | -34% | $44,862 |
| 441 Disorders of Liver except Malignancy, Cirrhosis or Alcoholic... | 29 | $109,791 | +27% | $41,410 |
| 834 Acute Leukemia with MCC | 29 | $145,279 | -49% | $70,580 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 28 | $30,845 | -39% | $14,008 |
| 327 Stomach, Esophageal and Duodenal Procedures with CC | 28 | $61,915 | -51% | $29,334 |
| 837 Chemotherapy with Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis or... | 28 | $207,638 | -11% | $90,744 |
| 840 Lymphoma and Non-Acute Leukemia with MCC | 27 | $114,188 | -27% | $49,245 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 170 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the North Carolina average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), UNC Hospitals charged $80,528 on average, 41% more than the North Carolina average of $56,936, and was paid $28,791 against a state average of $16,444. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), UNC Hospitals charged $44,739 on average, 25% more than the North Carolina average of $35,799, and was paid $19,791 against a state average of $11,305. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), UNC Hospitals charged $50,625 on average, 6% more than the North Carolina average of $47,554, and was paid $24,411 against a state average of $14,260. For Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive Disorders without MCC (DRG 392), UNC Hospitals charged $23,270 on average, 18% less than the North Carolina average of $28,251, and was paid $12,184 against a state average of $7,797. For Level 2 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5372), its average charge of $2,965 was 17% above the state average of $2,536. For Level 3 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5373), its average charge of $7,222 was 34% below the state average of $11,021. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $7,469 was 21% below the state average of $9,423. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $11,803 was 16% above the state average of $10,153.
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.