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North Carolina: one knee, three prices

What Medicare pays North Carolina hospitals and surgery centers for knee, hip and shoulder replacement, what hospitals list, and which cost the most and the least.

Surgery center
$8,762
Median Medicare knee rate, 44 orthopedic surgery centers
Hospital, same day
$11,546
Median outpatient allowed
Hospital, overnight
$14,527
Median inpatient paid, 41 hospitals

North Carolina requires a certificate of need for new surgery centers.

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Lowest Medicare payment

HospitalCityInpatient paidList priceOutpatient
North Carolina Specialty HospitalDurham$12,492$42,319$11,671
Rex HospitalRaleigh$13,126$73,623$11,741
Margaret R Pardee Memorial HospitalHendersonville$13,236$49,586$11,210
Haywood Regional Medical CenterClyde$13,289$79,413$11,405
Lake Norman Regional Medical CenterMooresville$13,299$134,693$11,683
Caldwell Memorial HospitalLenoir$13,300$47,970$11,257
Novant Health Matthews Medical CenterMatthews$13,399$90,650$11,516
WakemedCary$13,457$82,202$11,631
Columbus Regional Healthcare SystemWhiteville$13,470$61,111—
Firsthealth Moore Regional HospitalPinehurst$13,556$67,595$11,572

Highest Medicare payment

HospitalCityInpatient paidList priceOutpatient
Unc HospitalsChapel Hill$23,765$57,990$11,386
North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem$23,336$122,327$11,611
Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte$21,264$115,832$11,505
Duke University HospitalDurham$20,913$55,756$11,678
Atrium Health UnionMonroe$17,699$102,545$11,235
Watauga Medical CenterBoone$17,509$54,819$12,163
WakemedRaleigh$17,441$96,830$11,546
Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern$17,001$55,326$12,230
Ecu Health Medical CenterGreenville$16,618$56,177$11,360
Ecu Health North HospitalRoanoke Rapids$16,591$35,193$12,249

Every North Carolina hospital (67)

Orthopedic surgery centers (44)

Questions

How much does Medicare pay for a knee replacement in North Carolina?

In 2024 Medicare paid North Carolina hospitals a median $14,527 per inpatient hip or knee replacement stay (MS-DRG 470, 41 hospitals) and a median $11,546 per outpatient case. An orthopedic surgery center is paid about $8,762 for a knee.

Which North Carolina hospitals does Medicare pay least for a joint replacement?

North Carolina Specialty Hospital ($12,492), Rex Hospital ($13,126), Margaret R Pardee Memorial Hospital ($13,236).

What do North Carolina hospitals list for a joint replacement?

The median list (chargemaster) price is $75,233, about 5.2× what Medicare pays.

Does North Carolina have a certificate-of-need law?

North Carolina requires a certificate of need for new surgery centers. CON covers ASCs statewide except qualified urban ASCs in large counties exempt since November 2025 under the 2023 law (HB 76); a 2026 full ASC repeal bill (S 1040) has not passed.