Open Heart Surgery Cost in Arkansas (2026)
Slightly below the national average · RPP 91.2 · AR
What Drives Pricing Here
Three factors explain most of why open heart surgery costs what it does in Arkansas.
Regional Price Parity
Arkansas's cost-of-living index sits at 91.2 — meaningfully below the national benchmark (100). This directly scales facility and staffing overhead, which flow through to every procedure price.
Specialist Availability
7 facilities perform this procedure in Arkansas — competition keeps pricing honest and gives you real leverage to shop quotes.
Vs. National Benchmark
At -8.8% below the national average ($150,000), Arkansas is a discount market. Often driven by lower overhead or less metro concentration — quality can still be excellent.
Open Heart Surgery in Arkansas: What to Know
Arkansas offers excellent open-heart surgery options, often at a lower cost than the national average. CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock consistently ranks high in cardiology and heart surgery. For advanced heart failure, St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro is one of three Arkansas programs, and the first outside Little Rock, to receive CMS certification for implanting artificial heart pumps (LVADs). Northwest Medical Center - Springdale holds the distinction of performing Arkansas's first coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
When considering your options, explore facilities like Arkansas Heart Hospital, which offers a full spectrum of surgical interventions including minimally invasive procedures. Researching hospitals in cities like Jonesboro or Springdale may reveal more competitive pricing compared to larger metropolitan areas. Verify current pricing directly with providers.
Estimated Cost Breakdown in Arkansas
You'll pay a bit less for open heart surgery in Arkansas compared to the national average. Here's how costs are distributed.
Hospital Stay
Per-night inpatient cost
Most significant cost
Surgeon Fee
Expertise and experience level
Implants & Supplies
Operating Room
OR and equipment time
Anesthesia
Anesthesiologist or CRNA fee
Post-Op Care
Recovery and aftercare
Total Estimated Cost
Arkansas all-in range
Financing Options
Many Arkansas clinics partner with CareCredit or Alphaeon. A typical 24-month, 0% APR term on $136,800 looks like:
- Soft credit check — no hard pull
- Instant approval decisions
- HSA/FSA eligible for qualifying cases
Cost estimates are adjusted for regional pricing. See how we calculate state-level costs →
Ranges adjusted for Arkansas's regional price parity (91.2). See the national percentage breakdown →
Facility Costs in Arkansas
These Arkansas facilities handle the most open heart surgery cases. The negotiated rate reflects what's actually paid after insurer discounts.
| Facility | City | Negotiated Rate | Medicare | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chi St Vincent Infirmary | Little Rock | $58,700 | $53,218 | 104 |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital, Llc | Little Rock | $48,218 | $47,068 | 25 |
| Arkansas Heart Hospital, Llc | Little Rock | $55,924 | $54,745 | 19 |
| Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock | Little Rock | $74,246 | $72,550 | 18 |
| Chi St Vincent Infirmary | Little Rock | $71,609 | $70,203 | 16 |
| Washington Regional Medical Center | Fayetteville | $59,376 | $49,609 | 13 |
| Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock | Little Rock | $76,505 | $75,060 | 12 |
Open Heart Surgery Cost in Nearby States
Open Heart Surgery pricing varies across the region. Here's how Arkansas stacks up against its neighbors.
Expert Answers for Arkansas Patients
Local regulations, insurance nuance, and surgical standards specific to Arkansas.
Compare Arkansas with any other state
See national pricing, all 50 state comparisons, and detailed cost factors in the main open heart surgery cost guide.
View full open heart surgery guideWhat should I expect to pay for open heart surgery in Arkansas?
How can Arkansas offer lower open heart surgery prices?
Can I use insurance for open heart surgery in Arkansas?
When can I return to work after open heart surgery?
Are payment plans available for open heart surgery in Arkansas?
How do I compare open heart surgery facilities in Arkansas?
Should I consider open heart surgery outside Arkansas?
How we calculate open heart surgery costs in Arkansas
Cost estimates combine procedure-specific pricing data with regional cost-of-living and provider-supply adjustments. Primary sources:
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Hospital pricing transparency files — CMS-required machine-readable data published by hospitals under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule (effective January 2021). Provides actual negotiated rates between hospitals and insurers.
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HCUP (Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project) — AHRQ's HCUP databases provide nationally-representative procedure cost data by state, payer, and patient demographics.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics — Healthcare Practitioner Occupational Wages — BLS OEWS data on surgeon, anesthesiologist, and surgical staff wages by state, used to model regional labor-cost differences in procedure pricing.
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BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis state-level price-level indices, used to adjust national procedure averages for Arkansas's cost-of-living relative to the national mean.
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FAIR Health Consumer Cost Lookup — the FAIR Health database aggregates billed and allowed amounts from over 36 billion claim records, providing a check on procedure-cost ranges by ZIP code.
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Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data — CMS public-use files on Medicare-allowed amounts and submitted charges by HCPCS/CPT code and state, used as a baseline for procedure-cost ranges.
Estimates are illustrative and reflect typical pricing ranges; actual costs depend on insurance coverage, surgical complexity, anesthesia type, hospital vs. ambulatory setting, and individual patient factors. Always confirm pricing directly with providers and your insurance carrier. See our methodology page for full calculation details.