How we source treatment prices
Every price on RecoveryCost.com carries two things: a visible source label and an "as of" date. If a number ever appears without both, that is a bug — please report it. This page explains what each label means and how the numbers are produced.
Where prices come from
We publish prices from four kinds of sources, from strongest to most modeled. The label next to every figure tells you which one you are looking at.
- Facility verified
- The facility itself submitted or confirmed this price through a claimed, verified profile. Facility-verified prices are attributed to the facility and dated to the day they were confirmed.
- Insurer rate file
- Derived from the machine-readable negotiated-rate files that health insurers are required to publish under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule. These show what insurance plans have agreed to pay providers — a strong signal of real-world prices for in-network care.
- Government reported
- Reported in a public government dataset — for example SAMHSA facility surveys or state licensure and cost reports. We cite the dataset and its publication date.
- Estimated
- Our own modeled figure, produced when no verified or reported price exists for a facility and level of care. Estimates are always labeled, always dated, and always link back to this page so you can see exactly how they are built.
We use only government and public datasets plus data facilities submit to us directly. We never copy pricing or content from commercial directories.
How insurer rate-file medians are built
Insurers publish enormous machine-readable files listing the rates they have negotiated with each provider, identified by the provider's NPI (National Provider Identifier). To turn those raw files into something a family can use, we will:
- Match negotiated rates to a facility through its NPI, so the rate belongs to the right organization.
- Group each facility's rates by level of care (detox, residential, outpatient, and so on) using the billing codes in the file.
- Take the median across reporting plans — the middle value, so a single outlier contract can't distort the figure — and publish it as a range for that facility and level of care.
The result is labeled "Insurer rate file" with the date of the file it came from. It reflects what insurance plans pay, which is usually different from a facility's cash price — both can be true at once.
How estimated figures are produced
When no verified or reported price exists, we model a range from the best available evidence: rates at comparable facilities offering the same level of care in the same region, government cost data, and the typical relationship between insurer-negotiated rates and cash prices. Estimates are published as ranges rather than single numbers because that honestly reflects their precision.
An estimate is a starting point for a conversation with a facility, not a quote. Every estimated figure is labeled "Estimated" and links back to this page. As soon as a facility verifies its pricing or a stronger source arrives, the estimate is replaced.
How fresh the data is
Every price shows the month its source was current — the "as of" date. Government datasets and insurer rate files are re-imported monthly, and facility-verified prices carry the date the facility last confirmed them. Older dates don't make a figure wrong, but they are your cue to confirm before making a decision.
Disputes and corrections
Anyone — a family, a facility, an insurer — can dispute a figure using the "Report an issue" link on every facility page. Disputed prices get a visible "Under review" annotation while we investigate, and we aim to resolve every dispute within five business days.
Common questions
Why is a price on RecoveryCost.com different from the bill I got?
Published prices are ranges for planning, not quotes. What you actually pay depends on your treatment plan, how long you stay, your insurance benefits, and what the facility and your plan negotiate. Use our figures to compare options and ask better questions — then confirm the number directly with the facility before committing.
What does the "Estimated" label mean?
It means no facility-verified, insurer-reported, or government-reported price exists yet for that facility and level of care, so we modeled a range from comparable facilities and public data. Estimates are clearly labeled, dated, and replaced as soon as a stronger source becomes available.
Can a facility pay to change or remove a price?
No. Listings are free for every facility, and sponsorship never changes the data we publish or how results are ranked. A facility can correct a price by claiming its profile and verifying a new figure, which is then labeled "Facility verified" with its date. See How We Make Money for the full policy.
How do I report a price that looks wrong?
Use the "Report an issue or dispute this information" link on any facility page, or go to recoverycost.com/report/. Every report creates a review ticket, disputed figures are visibly annotated while under review, and we aim to resolve disputes within five business days.
See the sourcing in action
Every price in the directory shows its source and an as-of date. Free for every family, no referral fees, ever.