Hospital prices in North Carolina

Compare what every hospital we cover in North Carolina charges for common procedures, side by side with quality ratings and insurance rates.

31 Hospitals
114 Procedures priced
140 Insurance plans

31 hospitals in North Carolina publish prices for 114 common medical procedures, from basic lab tests and imaging to major surgeries. Prices vary substantially within each procedure — see the biggest differences below.

North Carolina Hospital Pricing Report — verified findings from real data Read the report →

Biggest price differences

The same procedure costs dramatically different amounts at North Carolina hospitals.

Prostate Biopsy
$1,433 lowest
12.3x
$17,669 highest
Compare 4 hospitals → Transforaminal Epidural Injection
$163 lowest
10.1x
$1,645 highest
Compare 3 hospitals → Joint Injection
$274 lowest
9.9x
$2,705 highest
Compare 5 hospitals → Heart Calcium Score (Cardiac CT)
$114 lowest
9.9x
$1,128 highest
Compare 16 hospitals → Chest X-Ray 2 Views
$172 lowest
9.1x
$1,570 highest
Compare 18 hospitals → Septoplasty
$1,257 lowest
5.8x
$7,284 highest
Compare 3 hospitals →

All procedures with price data

Every procedure where North Carolina hospitals publish price data, grouped by category. Each link opens a comparison across all hospitals offering that procedure.

Cancer

Chemotherapy Infusion First Hour 3 hospitals · median $406

Cardiac

Carotid Duplex Scan 4 hospitals · median $691 Echocardiogram Complete 5 hospitals · median $1,463 Stress Echocardiogram 4 hospitals · median $1,444

Dermatology

Skin Biopsy Punch 3 hospitals · median $241

Emergency

Emergency Room Visit — Critical (Level 5) 6 hospitals · median $1,726 Emergency Room Visit — High Acuity (Level 4) 6 hospitals · median $1,228 Emergency Room Visit — Moderate (Level 3) 6 hospitals · median $863

Gynecologic

HPV High-Risk Test 6 hospitals · median $260 Hysteroscopy with Biopsy 3 hospitals · median $2,143 Pap Smear Liquid-Based Cytology 6 hospitals · median $124 Pap Smear with Physician Interpretation 15 hospitals · median $34

Imaging

Bone Density Scan (DEXA) 6 hospitals · median $205 CT Abdomen and Pelvis with Contrast 6 hospitals · median $2,820 CT Abdomen and Pelvis without Contrast 6 hospitals · median $2,292 CT Angiography Chest 6 hospitals · median $1,732 CT Chest with Contrast 6 hospitals · median $1,432 CT Chest without Contrast 6 hospitals · median $1,062 CT Head without Contrast 6 hospitals · median $1,074 Chest X-Ray 2 Views 6 hospitals · median $232 Heart Calcium Score (Cardiac CT) 6 hospitals · median $125 MRI Brain with Contrast 4 hospitals · median $2,030 MRI Brain with and without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $2,344 MRI Brain without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $1,381 MRI Cervical Spine without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $1,264 MRI Knee with and without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $2,624 MRI Knee without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $1,519 MRI Lumbar Spine with and without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $2,322 MRI Lumbar Spine without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $1,298 MRI Shoulder without Contrast 4 hospitals · median $1,492 PET Scan Whole Body 5 hospitals · median $5,262 Screening Mammography 5 hospitals · median $188 Shoulder X-Ray 6 hospitals · median $232 Ultrasound Abdomen Complete 6 hospitals · median $661 Ultrasound Pregnancy 6 hospitals · median $396 Ultrasound Transvaginal 6 hospitals · median $514

Lab

Blood Draw / Venipuncture 5 hospitals · median $16 CBC Complete Blood Count 6 hospitals · median $60 Comprehensive Metabolic Panel 6 hospitals · median $78 Ferritin Level 6 hospitals · median $102 Hemoglobin A1C 6 hospitals · median $72 Lipid Panel 6 hospitals · median $100 PSA Prostate Screening 6 hospitals · median $136 TSH Thyroid Test 6 hospitals · median $120 Urinalysis with Microscopy 6 hospitals · median $26 Vitamin D Level 6 hospitals · median $220

Office

Office Visit Established Patient Level 3 4 hospitals · median $154 Office Visit Established Patient Level 4 3 hospitals · median $148

Pain

Joint Injection 3 hospitals · median $287

Rehab

Neuromuscular Re-education 6 hospitals · median $66 Physical Therapy Manual Therapy 6 hospitals · median $66 Physical Therapy Therapeutic Exercise 6 hospitals · median $66 Therapeutic Activities 6 hospitals · median $66

Screening

Diagnostic Mammography Bilateral 4 hospitals · median $228 Diagnostic Mammography Unilateral 4 hospitals · median $180 Screening Colonoscopy Average Risk 9 hospitals · median $545 Screening Colonoscopy High Risk 9 hospitals · median $581 Spirometry Pulmonary Function Test 6 hospitals · median $124

Cities we cover in North Carolina

Metros with hospital price data. Each card opens that city's most-covered procedure — branch out from there to other procedures.

High Point 55 procedures · up to 5 hospitals Charlotte 48 procedures · up to 15 hospitals

All North Carolina hospitals

31 hospitals ranked by quality.

Hospital City Stars Patient Rating Ownership
Duke University Hospital Durham ★★★★★ 80.0% For-profit
Atrium Health Lincoln Lincolnton ★★★★☆ 80.0% Local government
Duke Regional Hospital Durham ★★★★☆ 71.0% Local government
Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center Novant Health Supply ★★★★☆ 71.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Novant Health Winston-Salem ★★★★☆ 68.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center Novant Health Huntersville ★★★★☆ 66.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Matthews Medical Center Novant Health Matthews ★★★★☆ 70.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Medical Park Hospital Novant Health Winston-Salem ★★★★☆ 92.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center Novant Health Charlotte ★★★★☆ 81.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Novant Health Charlotte ★★★★☆ 65.0% Nonprofit
Atrium Health Pineville Charlotte ★★★☆☆ 72.0% Local government
Atrium Health Union Monroe ★★★☆☆ 74.0% Local government
Atrium Health University City Charlotte ★★★☆☆ 66.0% Local government
Carolinas Medical Center-northeast Concord ★★★☆☆ 71.0% Local government
Carolinas Medical Center/behav Health Charlotte ★★★☆☆ 71.0% Local government
Lexington Memorial Hospital INC Lexington ★★★☆☆ 72.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Thomasville Medical Center Novant Health Thomasville ★★★☆☆ 69.0% Nonprofit
Stanly Regional Medical Center Albemarle ★★★☆☆ 71.0% Nonprofit
Atrium Health Cleveland Shelby ★★☆☆☆ 71.0% Local government
High Point Regional Health System High Point ★★☆☆☆ 64.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center Novant Health Wilmington ★★☆☆☆ 56.0% Local government
Novant Health Rowan Medical Center Novant Health Salisbury ★★☆☆☆ 63.0% Nonprofit
Atrium Health Anson Wadesboro — 81.0% Local government
Davie Medical Center Bermuda Run — —
Duke Health Raleigh Hospital Raleigh — —
J Arthur Dosher Memorial Hospital Southport — 85.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center Novant Health Charlotte — 80.0% Nonprofit
Novant Health Charlotte Orthopedic Hospital Charlotte — —
Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center Clemmons — —
Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center Kernersville — —
Novant Health Pender Medical Center Burgaw — — Local government

Common questions

How much do hospital procedures cost in North Carolina?

Procedure prices at 31 North Carolina hospitals range from $9 to $21,483. The average is $1,050. Prices vary by hospital, ownership type, location, and insurance plan.

Why do North Carolina hospitals charge different prices for the same procedure?

Price variation is driven by ownership type (for-profit hospitals charge more on average), location, negotiated insurance rates, and facility overhead. The CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule requires every hospital to publish all prices, making these differences visible.

Can I save money by paying cash instead of using insurance?

In many cases, yes. Our analysis shows that a significant percentage of insurance negotiated rates exceed the hospital's own cash price. If you haven't met your deductible, ask the billing department about their cash rate before scheduling.

Data compiled by HospitalCost from 17 federal sources including CMS Hospital Price Transparency files, Hospital Compare, HCAHPS, and Medicare Cost Reports. Updated April 2026.