Cervical spinal fusion with complications in North Carolina
What 14 hospitals in North Carolina charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for cervical spinal fusion with complications (DRG 472), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$109,422
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$26,422
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$21,208
Average per stay
State rank
#23 of 38
1 = lowest average payment
Hospitals in North Carolina billed an average of $109,422 for cervical spinal fusion with complications, about 4.1 times the average total payment of $26,422. That payment is 6% below the U.S. average of $28,116.
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 $26,422Billed $109,422
About 24¢ was paid for every $1 hospitals in North Carolina billed for this stay.
Medicare prices this stay in 3 versions, by how sick the patient was. Compare them in North Carolina:
North Carolina hospitals: cervical spinal fusion with complications
Every North Carolina hospital that billed Medicare for this stay at least 11 times. Click a column to sort.
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment | Medicare paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte | 57 | $139,547 | $28,715 | $22,580 |
| New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington | 52 | $117,236 | $24,564 | $22,841 |
| Duke University Medical CenterDurham | 42 | $88,751 | $30,805 | $25,296 |
| Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeAsheville | 29 | $151,938 | $23,314 | $19,556 |
| Duke Regional HospitalDurham | 25 | $98,108 | $24,921 | $20,064 |
| North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem | 23 | $148,517 | $32,750 | $21,042 |
| Wakemed, Raleigh CampusRaleigh | 22 | $113,521 | $27,642 | $18,859 |
| ECU Health Medical CenterGreenville | 19 | $86,107 | $27,770 | $18,949 |
| Carolina East Medical CenterNew Bern | 17 | $40,323 | $24,790 | $23,254 |
| Forsyth Memorial HospitalWinston-Salem | 16 | $90,355 | $20,147 | $18,572 |
| Rex HospitalRaleigh | 16 | $90,912 | $21,664 | $17,583 |
| Duke Health Raleigh HospitalRaleigh | 15 | $73,644 | $21,535 | $19,973 |
| Presbyterian HospitalCharlotte | 13 | $117,593 | $26,829 | $16,874 |
| Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital, theGreensboro | 13 | $67,479 | $25,165 | $19,692 |
Lowest and highest payments in North Carolina
Among hospitals with at least 11 Medicare hospital stays. Differences reflect local wage costs, teaching status and how sick patients were, as well as price.
Lowest
| Forsyth Memorial HospitalWinston-Salem, NC | $20,147 |
|---|---|
| Duke Health Raleigh HospitalRaleigh, NC | $21,535 |
| Rex HospitalRaleigh, NC | $21,664 |
| Memorial Mission Hospital and Asheville Surgery CeAsheville, NC | $23,314 |
| New Hanover Regional Medical CenterWilmington, NC | $24,564 |
Highest
| North Carolina Baptist HospitalWinston-Salem, NC | $32,750 |
|---|---|
| Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC | $30,805 |
| Carolinas Medical Center/Behav HealthCharlotte, NC | $28,715 |
| ECU Health Medical CenterGreenville, NC | $27,770 |
| Wakemed, Raleigh CampusRaleigh, NC | $27,642 |
Cervical spinal fusion with complications in other states
Questions
How much does cervical spinal fusion with complications cost in North Carolina?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for cervical spinal fusion with complications (DRG 472) at 14 hospitals in North Carolina was billed at $109,422 on average, while the average total payment was $26,422, of which Medicare paid $21,208. Your own cost depends on your insurance, deductible and the hospital.
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 North Carolina, average charges were 4.1 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.