Back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications
What 56 hospitals in the U.S. charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications (DRG 520), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$79,349
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$14,856
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$11,330
Average per stay
Volume
938
Medicare hospital stays
Hospitals in the U.S. billed an average of $79,349 for back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications, about 5.3 times the average total payment of $14,856.
These are averages for patients with original (fee-for-service) Medicare. Private insurance pays different, negotiated prices, and what you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Use these figures to compare hospitals, not as a quote.
Paid $14,856Billed $79,349
About 19¢ was paid for every $1 hospitals in the U.S. billed for this stay.
Medicare prices this stay in 3 versions, by how sick the patient was. Compare them:
Lowest and highest payments
Among hospitals with at least 20 Medicare hospital stays. Differences reflect local wage costs, teaching status and how sick patients were, as well as price.
Lowest
| Kansas Spine Hospital LLCWichita, KS | $8,952 |
|---|---|
| Sarasota Memorial HospitalSarasota, FL | $10,851 |
| Baptist Medical CenterJacksonville, FL | $11,641 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara, CA | $16,284 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA | $17,826 |
| Hospital for Special SurgeryNew York, NY | $18,702 |
| Scripps Green HospitalLa Jolla, CA | $18,792 |
| The Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, MD | $22,155 |
| New York-Presbyterian HospitalNew York, NY | $23,872 |
Highest
| New York-Presbyterian HospitalNew York, NY | $23,872 |
|---|---|
| The Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, MD | $22,155 |
| Scripps Green HospitalLa Jolla, CA | $18,792 |
| Hospital for Special SurgeryNew York, NY | $18,702 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA | $17,826 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara, CA | $16,284 |
| Baptist Medical CenterJacksonville, FL | $11,641 |
| Sarasota Memorial HospitalSarasota, FL | $10,851 |
| Kansas Spine Hospital LLCWichita, KS | $8,952 |
Back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications cost by state
Volume-weighted averages for each state's hospitals. Select a state to see every hospital.
| State | Hospitals | Avg charge | Avg payment | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 2 | $79,249 | $11,627 | $11,453 – $11,840 |
| Arkansas | 1 | $18,716 | $9,020 | – |
| California | 9 | $136,231 | $16,326 | $13,201 – $22,963 |
| Delaware | 1 | $32,771 | $13,459 | – |
| Florida | 5 | $79,104 | $11,377 | $10,076 – $12,743 |
| Illinois | 2 | $57,203 | $14,190 | $12,420 – $16,604 |
| Indiana | 1 | $36,114 | $11,301 | – |
| Kansas | 1 | $24,224 | $8,952 | – |
| Maryland | 1 | $25,152 | $22,155 | – |
| Massachusetts | 3 | $68,207 | $19,256 | $16,651 – $22,311 |
| Michigan | 1 | $43,881 | $12,172 | – |
| Minnesota | 2 | $47,432 | $14,201 | $11,436 – $16,384 |
| Missouri | 2 | $65,116 | $12,891 | $11,132 – $14,651 |
| Montana | 1 | $29,130 | $11,552 | – |
| New York | 4 | $94,179 | $20,171 | $18,702 – $23,872 |
| North Carolina | 3 | $65,646 | $14,152 | $11,317 – $19,441 |
| Ohio | 2 | $68,713 | $15,015 | $14,583 – $15,582 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | $78,071 | $13,707 | $10,187 – $17,228 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | $21,750 | $14,931 | – |
| South Carolina | 2 | $70,832 | $14,877 | $12,940 – $16,537 |
| Texas | 3 | $88,424 | $11,848 | $9,156 – $15,833 |
| Vermont | 1 | $55,386 | $11,372 | – |
| Virginia | 2 | $53,018 | $11,162 | $11,098 – $11,239 |
Hospitals that treat the most Medicare patients for this
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital for Special SurgeryNew York, NY | 63 | $78,482 | $18,702 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA | 32 | $211,265 | $17,826 |
| Sarasota Memorial HospitalSarasota, FL | 32 | $76,761 | $10,851 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara, CA | 29 | $66,220 | $16,284 |
| Kansas Spine Hospital LLCWichita, KS | 25 | $24,224 | $8,952 |
| New York-Presbyterian HospitalNew York, NY | 24 | $99,263 | $23,872 |
| The Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, MD | 23 | $25,152 | $22,155 |
| Scripps Green HospitalLa Jolla, CA | 20 | $170,802 | $18,792 |
| Baptist Medical CenterJacksonville, FL | 20 | $78,148 | $11,641 |
| John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek CampusWalnut Creek, CA | 19 | $203,345 | $15,798 |
| Medstar Georgetown University HospitalWashington, DC | 19 | $74,350 | $18,298 |
| Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, MA | 19 | $88,052 | $22,311 |
| Mayo Clinic - Saint Marys HospitalRochester, MN | 19 | $48,619 | $16,384 |
| Augusta HealthFishersville, VA | 19 | $62,519 | $11,098 |
| Docs Surgical HospitalLos Angeles, CA | 18 | $86,010 | $13,223 |
Questions
How much does back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications cost in the U.S.?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications (DRG 520) at 56 hospitals in the U.S. was billed at $79,349 on average, while the average total payment was $14,856, of which Medicare paid $11,330. Your own cost depends on your insurance, deductible and the hospital.
Which states pay the most and least for back and neck procedures except spinal fusion without complications?
Among states with at least three hospitals reporting, the average total payment was highest in New York ($20,171), Massachusetts ($19,256), California ($16,326) and lowest in Florida ($11,377), Texas ($11,848), Pennsylvania ($13,707).
Why are hospital charges so much higher than payments?
Charges are a hospital's list prices. Medicare pays fixed rates set in advance, and private insurers negotiate their own discounts, so almost nobody pays the full charge. For this stay in the U.S., average charges were 5.3 times the average payment. Uninsured patients can ask the hospital about its financial assistance (charity care) policy and cash prices.
Source: CMS, Medicare Inpatient Hospitals by Provider and Service, 2024. Average total payment includes Medicare's payment, the patient's deductible and coinsurance, and any other payer. CMS omits hospitals with fewer than 11 hospital stays for privacy. About the data.