Georgia / Wellstar Paulding Medical Center
CMS certification 110042 · Hiram, GA
Wellstar Paulding Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Wellstar Paulding Medical Center reported 1,598 Medicare inpatient stays across 46 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 7.48 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Georgia, number 4 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: 212 stays at an average charge of $116,754, 29% above the national average. It also billed 1,221 outpatient services, charging 11.2 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 1,598
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 7.48×
- 3Rank in GA (highest ratio = 1) 4 of 74
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 46 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Wellstar Paulding Medical Center charged more than the national average in 36 (78%). 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 | 212 | $116,754 | +29% | $16,059 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 165 | $77,669 | +38% | $9,082 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 86 | $87,637 | +47% | $10,213 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 71 | $87,219 | +24% | $12,267 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 58 | $45,359 | +13% | $6,326 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 49 | $51,344 | +26% | $7,006 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 48 | $74,020 | +51% | $7,994 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 46 | $57,503 | +18% | $6,758 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 44 | $80,321 | +33% | $10,914 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 42 | $100,291 | +32% | $10,748 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 42 | $39,987 | +6% | $7,358 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 41 | $84,065 | +66% | $7,776 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 36 | $86,493 | +31% | $11,548 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 36 | $65,706 | +28% | $8,204 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 34 | $63,794 | 0% | $8,168 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 33 | $77,184 | +5% | $11,978 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 32 | $68,491 | +54% | $11,662 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 31 | $44,860 | +24% | $5,909 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 30 | $99,014 | +72% | $13,372 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 30 | $43,124 | +16% | $6,745 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 27 | $112,171 | -2% | $14,409 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 24 | $49,270 | +28% | $6,420 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 23 | $78,570 | +39% | $8,404 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 23 | $53,502 | +17% | $6,046 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 22 | $46,104 | +24% | $6,598 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 21 | $98,425 | -12% | $15,077 |
| 313 Chest Pain | 21 | $42,073 | +5% | $5,040 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 21 | $110,997 | +30% | $16,253 |
| 175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale | 19 | $76,985 | +18% | $11,880 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 17 | $54,081 | -3% | $8,325 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 17 | $43,836 | +5% | $9,671 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 17 | $221,624 | -3% | $36,160 |
| 202 Bronchitis and Asthma with CC/MCC | 16 | $67,336 | +46% | $6,723 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 16 | $64,193 | +5% | $8,761 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 14 | $91,220 | -9% | $13,023 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 14 | $68,145 | +35% | $6,350 |
| 305 Hypertension without MCC | 14 | $42,533 | +6% | $6,604 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 13 | $51,470 | -23% | $8,975 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 13 | $37,937 | -20% | $9,780 |
| 092 Other Disorders of Nervous System with CC | 12 | $58,144 | +13% | $6,801 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 12 | $94,053 | -21% | $16,200 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 12 | $69,403 | +47% | $6,566 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 11 | $35,555 | +24% | $6,483 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 11 | $146,124 | -11% | $26,183 |
| 372 Major Gastrointestinal Disorders and Peritoneal Infections... | 11 | $59,546 | +25% | $10,210 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 11 | $110,573 | +10% | $14,403 |
Outpatient services
Against the Georgia average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Wellstar Paulding Medical Center charged $116,754 on average, 37% more than the Georgia average of $85,396, and was paid $16,059 against a state average of $17,147. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Wellstar Paulding Medical Center charged $77,669 on average, 47% more than the Georgia average of $52,781, and was paid $9,082 against a state average of $12,005. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Wellstar Paulding Medical Center charged $87,637 on average, 56% more than the Georgia average of $56,349, and was paid $10,213 against a state average of $12,110. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Wellstar Paulding Medical Center charged $87,219 on average, 32% more than the Georgia average of $66,006, and was paid $12,267 against a state average of $14,774. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $29,744 was 42% above the state average of $20,900. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $23,513 was 30% above the state average of $18,060. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $29,582 was 10% above the state average of $26,927. For Level 5 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5375), its average charge of $32,917 was 7% below the state average of $35,322.
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.