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.
North Carolina requires a certificate of need for new surgery centers.
Zoom into North Carolina on the mapBuild a North Carolina report
| Hospital | City | Inpatient paid | List price | Outpatient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina Specialty Hospital | Durham | $12,492 | $42,319 | $11,671 |
| Rex Hospital | Raleigh | $13,126 | $73,623 | $11,741 |
| Margaret R Pardee Memorial Hospital | Hendersonville | $13,236 | $49,586 | $11,210 |
| Haywood Regional Medical Center | Clyde | $13,289 | $79,413 | $11,405 |
| Lake Norman Regional Medical Center | Mooresville | $13,299 | $134,693 | $11,683 |
| Caldwell Memorial Hospital | Lenoir | $13,300 | $47,970 | $11,257 |
| Novant Health Matthews Medical Center | Matthews | $13,399 | $90,650 | $11,516 |
| Wakemed | Cary | $13,457 | $82,202 | $11,631 |
| Columbus Regional Healthcare System | Whiteville | $13,470 | $61,111 | — |
| Firsthealth Moore Regional Hospital | Pinehurst | $13,556 | $67,595 | $11,572 |
| Hospital | City | Inpatient paid | List price | Outpatient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unc Hospitals | Chapel Hill | $23,765 | $57,990 | $11,386 |
| North Carolina Baptist Hospital | Winston-Salem | $23,336 | $122,327 | $11,611 |
| Carolinas Medical Center/Behav Health | Charlotte | $21,264 | $115,832 | $11,505 |
| Duke University Hospital | Durham | $20,913 | $55,756 | $11,678 |
| Atrium Health Union | Monroe | $17,699 | $102,545 | $11,235 |
| Watauga Medical Center | Boone | $17,509 | $54,819 | $12,163 |
| Wakemed | Raleigh | $17,441 | $96,830 | $11,546 |
| Carolina East Medical Center | New Bern | $17,001 | $55,326 | $12,230 |
| Ecu Health Medical Center | Greenville | $16,618 | $56,177 | $11,360 |
| Ecu Health North Hospital | Roanoke Rapids | $16,591 | $35,193 | $12,249 |
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.
North Carolina Specialty Hospital ($12,492), Rex Hospital ($13,126), Margaret R Pardee Memorial Hospital ($13,236).
The median list (chargemaster) price is $75,233, about 5.2× what Medicare pays.
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.