Price vs. cost — where the margin lives

Commercial prices against each hospital’s estimated cost to deliver, built from the same federal cost reports (HCRIS) regulators use. Statewide, the median hospital prices commercial care at 2.0× its estimated cost.

Median price as a multiple of estimated cost 1× = price equals cost

By health system

HCA Virginia10 hospitals
4.8×
Carilion Clinic4 hospitals
3.0×
Ballad Health4 hospitals
2.1×
UVA Health4 hospitals
2.0×
Mary Washington Healthcare2 hospitals
1.8×
Inova Health5 hospitals
1.7×
Valley Health2 hospitals
1.7×
Centra Health3 hospitals
0.9×

By hospital (click headers to sort)

HospitalSystem Price / est. costProcedures
Cjw Medical CenterHCA Virginia10.1×12
Lewisgale Medical CenterHCA Virginia7.9×15
Lewisgale Hospital MontgomeryHCA Virginia5.8×9
Henrico Doctors' HospitalHCA Virginia5.1×18
John Randolph Medical CenterHCA Virginia4.8×7
Lewisgale Hospital AlleghanyHCA Virginia4.7×10
Reston Hospital CenterHCA Virginia4.5×8
Spotsylvania Regional Medical CenterHCA Virginia4.5×7
Lewisgale Hospital PulaskiHCA Virginia3.8×13
Stonesprings Hospital CenterHCA Virginia3.5×6
Carilion Medical CenterCarilion Clinic3.1×24
Carilion New River Valley Medical CenterCarilion Clinic3.0×22
Carilion Franklin Memorial HospitalCarilion Clinic3.0×18
Carilion Tazewell Community HospitalCarilion Clinic2.7×17
Smyth County Community HospitalBallad Health2.4×26
Uva Health Culpeper Medical CenterUVA Health2.2×63
Johnston Memorial HospitalBallad Health2.2×26
University Of Virginia Medical CenterUVA Health2.1×66
Mary Washington HospitalMary Washington Healthcare2.0×23
Russell County HospitalBallad Health2.0×26
Virginia Hospital CenterVHC Health2.0×19
Lonesome Pine HospitalBallad Health2.0×29
Buchanan General HospitalIndependent & other1.9×23
Uva Health Prince William Medical CenterUVA Health1.9×62
Inova Loudoun HospitalInova Health1.9×23
Inova Alexandria HospitalInova Health1.8×23
Inova Fair Oaks HospitalInova Health1.7×23
Warren Memorial HospitalValley Health1.7×11
Inova Fairfax HospitalInova Health1.7×23
Winchester Medical CenterValley Health1.7×21
Uva Health Haymarket Medical CenterUVA Health1.7×59
Stafford HospitalMary Washington Healthcare1.6×23
Inova Mount Vernon HospitalInova Health1.6×23
Centra Health - Lynchburg Gen HospitalCentra Health0.9×29
Southside Community HospitalCentra Health0.9×28
Centra Bedford Memorial HospitalCentra Health0.9×28
Cost estimates multiply published gross charges by each hospital’s operating cost-to-charge ratio from CMS cost reports — the standard MedPAC/NASHP method. They are estimates, not accounting truth: imaging and lab cells (where the hospital-level ratio is least precise) and data-flagged cells are excluded here, and hospitals with fewer than 5 usable cells are not shown. System attribution is name-based and approximate — corrections welcome at [email protected]. Department-level cost ratios are a planned upgrade. Method details on the methodology page.
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Rexroad Analytics · Data: hospital machine-readable files (45 CFR 180, schema v3.0) retrieved September 18, 2026; Medicare benchmarks from CMS claims data and fee schedules; cost estimates from FY2026 CMS cost-report ratios, labeled as estimates. Not medical, legal, or benefits advice. Full methodology → · The American Healthcare Conundrum →