What 16 hospitals in Georgia charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for extensive operating room procedures unrelated to principal diagnosis with major complications (DRG 981), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Hospitals in Georgia billed an average of $225,926 for extensive operating room procedures unrelated to principal diagnosis with major complications, about 5.1 times the average total payment of $44,053. That payment is 6% below the U.S. average of $47,051.
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.
About 19¢ was paid for every $1 hospitals in Georgia billed for this stay.
Medicare prices this stay in 3 versions, by how sick the patient was. Compare them in Georgia:
Every Georgia hospital that billed Medicare for this stay at least 11 times. Click a column to sort.
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment | Medicare paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Georgia Medical Center, INCGainesville | 35 | $274,392 | $43,664 | $39,810 |
| Atrium Health Navicent the Medical CenterMacon | 33 | $226,550 | $37,664 | $32,567 |
| Emory University HospitalAtlanta | 28 | $183,326 | $59,599 | $42,694 |
| Piedmont HospitalAtlanta | 27 | $425,884 | $61,472 | $29,668 |
| Saint Joseph's Hosp of AtlantaAtlanta | 22 | $169,932 | $42,458 | $36,452 |
| Piedmont Augusta HospitalAugusta | 20 | $141,756 | $26,959 | $25,577 |
| Gwinnett Medical CenterLawrenceville | 18 | $221,954 | $40,840 | $36,671 |
| Northside Hospital ForsythCumming | 16 | $339,889 | $48,728 | $47,606 |
| Emory University Hospital MidtownAtlanta | 16 | $163,169 | $48,115 | $38,408 |
| Athens Regional Medical CenterAthens | 15 | $269,453 | $51,695 | $34,312 |
| Northside Hospital CherokeeCanton | 13 | $170,854 | $32,125 | $30,367 |
| Memorial Health Univ Med Cen, INCSavannah | 13 | $287,872 | $37,306 | $32,260 |
| Southeast Georgia Reg Med CtrBrunswick | 12 | $47,652 | $43,079 | $41,991 |
| John D Archbold Memorial HospitalThomasville | 12 | $108,493 | $32,129 | $30,119 |
| Sgmc HealthValdosta | 12 | $119,725 | $26,581 | $25,318 |
| Wellstar Kennestone HospitalMarietta | 11 | $255,493 | $53,729 | $33,217 |
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.
| Sgmc HealthValdosta, GA | $26,581 |
|---|---|
| Piedmont Augusta HospitalAugusta, GA | $26,959 |
| Northside Hospital CherokeeCanton, GA | $32,125 |
| John D Archbold Memorial HospitalThomasville, GA | $32,129 |
| Memorial Health Univ Med Cen, INCSavannah, GA | $37,306 |
| Piedmont HospitalAtlanta, GA | $61,472 |
|---|---|
| Emory University HospitalAtlanta, GA | $59,599 |
| Wellstar Kennestone HospitalMarietta, GA | $53,729 |
| Athens Regional Medical CenterAthens, GA | $51,695 |
| Northside Hospital ForsythCumming, GA | $48,728 |
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for extensive operating room procedures unrelated to principal diagnosis with major complications (DRG 981) at 16 hospitals in Georgia was billed at $225,926 on average, while the average total payment was $44,053, of which Medicare paid $35,240. Your own cost depends on your insurance, deductible and the hospital.
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 Georgia, average charges were 5.1 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.