Cervical spinal fusion without complications
What 125 hospitals in the U.S. charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for cervical spinal fusion without complications (DRG 473), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$110,526
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$20,737
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$16,670
Average per stay
Volume
2,401
Medicare hospital stays
Hospitals in the U.S. billed an average of $110,526 for cervical spinal fusion without complications, about 5.3 times the average total payment of $20,737.
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 $20,737Billed $110,526
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
| AvalaCovington, LA | $15,146 |
|---|---|
| Specialists Hospital ShreveportShreveport, LA | $15,270 |
| Kansas Spine Hospital LLCWichita, KS | $15,279 |
| The Spine Hospital of LouisianaBaton Rouge, LA | $15,562 |
| Baylor Surgical Hospital at Fort WorthFort Worth, TX | $16,012 |
| Oklahoma Spine HospitalOklahoma City, OK | $16,140 |
| Huntsville HospitalHuntsville, AL | $16,745 |
| Western Baptist HospitalPaducah, KY | $17,209 |
| Surgical Specialty Hospital of ArizonaPhoenix, AZ | $17,459 |
| Texas Spine and Joint HospitalTyler, TX | $17,983 |
Highest
| Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA | $31,722 |
|---|---|
| Jackson Health SystemMiami, FL | $30,800 |
| Hospital for Special SurgeryNew York, NY | $29,402 |
| Scripps Green HospitalLa Jolla, CA | $28,884 |
| Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC | $24,915 |
| Renown Regional Medical CenterReno, NV | $24,635 |
| Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic CenterAkron, OH | $24,241 |
| Christiana Care Health Services, INC.Newark, DE | $23,669 |
| Adventhealth OrlandoOrlando, FL | $23,312 |
| Pinnacle HospitalCrown Point, IN | $23,024 |
Cervical 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 | $129,321 | $16,110 | $15,204 – $16,745 |
| Alaska | 1 | $139,819 | $26,381 | – |
| Arizona | 6 | $112,537 | $21,080 | $17,459 – $31,462 |
| Arkansas | 3 | $49,914 | $15,672 | $15,336 – $16,524 |
| California | 8 | $212,168 | $29,580 | $21,497 – $39,675 |
| Colorado | 1 | $109,794 | $17,823 | – |
| Delaware | 1 | $75,978 | $23,669 | – |
| Florida | 11 | $135,215 | $20,601 | $16,308 – $30,800 |
| Georgia | 6 | $115,654 | $21,251 | $15,187 – $25,607 |
| Idaho | 2 | $89,300 | $16,552 | $16,355 – $16,679 |
| Illinois | 3 | $91,811 | $27,053 | $17,753 – $46,169 |
| Indiana | 3 | $313,795 | $21,310 | $16,269 – $23,024 |
| Kansas | 1 | $50,029 | $15,279 | – |
| Kentucky | 1 | $174,712 | $17,209 | – |
| Louisiana | 7 | $88,991 | $15,768 | $14,730 – $20,901 |
| Maryland | 2 | $33,653 | $29,199 | $21,866 – $39,865 |
| Massachusetts | 2 | $37,640 | $28,563 | $27,977 – $29,256 |
| Michigan | 6 | $66,402 | $20,236 | $17,734 – $23,043 |
| Minnesota | 3 | $56,050 | $21,623 | $18,275 – $25,054 |
| Mississippi | 1 | $251,929 | $17,754 | – |
| Missouri | 2 | $75,753 | $22,301 | $21,455 – $23,378 |
| Montana | 2 | $47,700 | $19,077 | $18,888 – $19,206 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $130,661 | $16,217 | – |
| Nevada | 1 | $75,442 | $24,635 | – |
| New Hampshire | 1 | $60,346 | $21,023 | – |
| New Jersey | 1 | $97,663 | $29,095 | – |
| New York | 5 | $133,282 | $28,833 | $21,073 – $42,185 |
| North Carolina | 3 | $71,902 | $21,866 | $18,253 – $24,915 |
| Ohio | 3 | $81,664 | $23,383 | $19,234 – $25,425 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $87,448 | $16,805 | $16,140 – $21,124 |
| Oregon | 1 | $88,212 | $20,168 | – |
| Pennsylvania | 2 | $165,444 | $25,059 | $23,190 – $26,239 |
| South Carolina | 3 | $88,815 | $20,178 | $18,001 – $25,335 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $106,185 | $17,803 | – |
| Tennessee | 5 | $83,258 | $17,290 | $15,301 – $20,578 |
| Texas | 14 | $122,106 | $18,395 | $15,587 – $30,098 |
| Virginia | 2 | $76,991 | $21,958 | $18,552 – $27,822 |
| Washington | 1 | $90,560 | $22,918 | – |
Hospitals that treat the most Medicare patients for this
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Spine Hospital of LouisianaBaton Rouge, LA | 91 | $86,276 | $15,562 |
| Oklahoma Spine HospitalOklahoma City, OK | 78 | $77,656 | $16,140 |
| Specialists Hospital ShreveportShreveport, LA | 62 | $76,291 | $15,270 |
| Christiana Care Health Services, INC.Newark, DE | 56 | $75,978 | $23,669 |
| Sarasota Memorial HospitalSarasota, FL | 44 | $129,460 | $18,137 |
| Bon Secours-St Francis Xavier HospitalCharleston, SC | 44 | $61,836 | $18,001 |
| AvalaCovington, LA | 43 | $107,717 | $15,146 |
| Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC | 39 | $69,451 | $24,915 |
| Holmes Regional Medical CenterMelbourne, FL | 32 | $152,206 | $18,491 |
| Baptist Medical CenterJacksonville, FL | 32 | $117,850 | $21,423 |
| Surgical Specialty Hospital of ArizonaPhoenix, AZ | 31 | $97,706 | $17,459 |
| Adventhealth OrlandoOrlando, FL | 31 | $147,680 | $23,312 |
| Kansas Spine Hospital LLCWichita, KS | 31 | $50,029 | $15,279 |
| Renown Regional Medical CenterReno, NV | 31 | $75,442 | $24,635 |
| Virginia Hospital Center - ArlingtonArlington, VA | 31 | $77,199 | $18,552 |
Questions
How much does cervical spinal fusion without complications cost in the U.S.?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for cervical spinal fusion without complications (DRG 473) at 125 hospitals in the U.S. was billed at $110,526 on average, while the average total payment was $20,737, of which Medicare paid $16,670. Your own cost depends on your insurance, deductible and the hospital.
Which states pay the most and least for cervical spinal fusion without complications?
Among states with at least three hospitals reporting, the average total payment was highest in California ($29,580), New York ($28,833), Illinois ($27,053) and lowest in Arkansas ($15,672), Louisiana ($15,768), Alabama ($16,110).
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.