Medical back problems with major complications in California
What 50 hospitals in California charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for medical back problems with major complications (DRG 551), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$145,813
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$20,804
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$17,491
Average per stay
State rank
#32 of 33
1 = lowest average payment
Hospitals in California billed an average of $145,813 for medical back problems with major complications, about 7.0 times the average total payment of $20,804. That payment is 28% above the U.S. average of $16,215.
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 $20,804Billed $145,813
About 14¢ was paid for every $1 hospitals in California billed for this stay.
Medicare prices this stay in 2 versions, by how sick the patient was. Compare them in California:
California hospitals: medical back problems with major complications
Every California hospital that billed Medicare for this stay at least 11 times. Click a column to sort.
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment | Medicare paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles | 52 | $247,954 | $22,177 | $18,319 |
| Hollywood Community Hospital of HollywoodLos Angeles | 33 | $61,612 | $17,741 | $16,547 |
| Sutter Roseville Medical CenterRoseville | 28 | $106,396 | $17,136 | $15,926 |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital la JollaLa Jolla | 27 | $124,269 | $36,532 | $13,885 |
| University of California Davis Medical CenterSacramento | 27 | $200,920 | $30,791 | $25,465 |
| Enloe Medical CenterChico | 26 | $104,914 | $15,427 | $14,109 |
| Los Robles Hospital & Medical CenterThousand Oaks | 26 | $179,944 | $16,901 | $15,357 |
| Torrance Memorial Medical CenterTorrance | 23 | $131,886 | $15,516 | $14,098 |
| John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek CampusWalnut Creek | 22 | $176,574 | $20,589 | $14,661 |
| Los Angeles Community HospitalLos Angeles | 22 | $42,147 | $16,800 | $15,529 |
| Huntington Memorial HospitalPasadena | 21 | $112,764 | $16,116 | $14,964 |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Med Ctr TorranceTorrance | 20 | $87,413 | $16,682 | $14,409 |
| Stanford HospitalPalo Alto | 20 | $316,547 | $41,325 | $25,564 |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med CenterMission Viejo | 20 | $91,175 | $15,761 | $14,293 |
| Riverside Community HospitalRiverside | 19 | $160,737 | $18,844 | $15,789 |
| Santa Clara Valley Medical CenterSan Jose | 18 | $151,974 | $35,568 | $33,471 |
| Santa Rosa Memorial HospitalSanta Rosa | 18 | $165,263 | $23,934 | $17,498 |
| Glendale Adventist Medical CtrGlendale | 18 | $97,349 | $16,997 | $15,585 |
| Marinhealth Medical CenterGreenbrae | 18 | $199,834 | $18,967 | $17,698 |
| Oroville HospitalOroville | 17 | $43,978 | $16,120 | $14,968 |
| Sharp Memorial HospitalSan Diego | 17 | $139,378 | $20,033 | $15,216 |
| Mercy Medical Center ReddingRedding | 17 | $131,673 | $17,009 | $14,849 |
| Community Hospital of the Monterey PeninsulaMonterey | 16 | $99,534 | $17,674 | $16,239 |
| UCSF Medical CenterSan Francisco | 16 | $173,914 | $33,556 | $28,305 |
| Community Regional Medical CenterFresno | 15 | $117,549 | $18,404 | $16,622 |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital - EncinitasEncinitas | 15 | $61,309 | $14,575 | $13,250 |
| University of California San Diego Medical CenterSan Diego | 14 | $124,666 | $31,837 | $21,962 |
| Scripps Mercy HospitalSan Diego | 14 | $75,709 | $17,244 | $15,809 |
| UCI Health-OrangeOrange | 14 | $110,252 | $23,149 | $20,284 |
| Fountain Valley Regional Hospital & Medical CenterFountain Valley | 14 | $290,002 | $26,101 | $25,238 |
| Centinela Hospital Medical CenterInglewood | 14 | $62,331 | $17,810 | $16,309 |
| Marian Medical CenterSanta Maria | 13 | $91,494 | $17,712 | $16,525 |
| Northridge Hospital Medical CenterNorthridge | 13 | $178,939 | $18,408 | $16,565 |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical CtrBurbank | 13 | $74,028 | $16,886 | $13,804 |
| Desert Regional Medical CenterPalm Springs | 13 | $326,610 | $21,708 | $19,337 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara | 13 | $82,525 | $16,651 | $15,539 |
| Southwest Healthcare SystemMurrieta | 13 | $141,888 | $16,745 | $15,269 |
| Palomar Medical CenterEscondido | 12 | $216,521 | $17,976 | $15,536 |
| PIH Health Hospital-WhittierWhittier | 12 | $83,046 | $14,034 | $12,822 |
| Dominican HospitalSanta Cruz | 12 | $266,305 | $25,340 | $23,844 |
| Doctors Medical CenterModesto | 12 | $354,893 | $16,861 | $15,289 |
| Memorial Medical CenterModesto | 12 | $118,364 | $16,575 | $15,623 |
| Kaweah Delta Medical CenterVisalia | 11 | $54,055 | $18,747 | $16,435 |
| San Francisco General HospitalSan Francisco | 11 | $115,423 | $31,012 | $28,215 |
| Pomona Valley Hospital Medical CenterPomona | 11 | $139,816 | $15,782 | $14,467 |
| Saint John's Health CenterSanta Monica | 11 | $69,509 | $15,312 | $13,316 |
| Good Samaritan HospitalSan Jose | 11 | $390,338 | $26,312 | $25,125 |
| Eden Medical CenterCastro Valley | 11 | $131,821 | $18,097 | $16,903 |
| Mercy San Juan Medical CenterCarmichael | 11 | $132,284 | $17,627 | $16,262 |
| Foothill Regional Medical CenterTustin | 11 | $84,266 | $16,392 | $15,427 |
Lowest and highest payments in California
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
| PIH Health Hospital-WhittierWhittier, CA | $14,034 |
|---|---|
| Scripps Memorial Hospital - EncinitasEncinitas, CA | $14,575 |
| Saint John's Health CenterSanta Monica, CA | $15,312 |
| Enloe Medical CenterChico, CA | $15,427 |
| Torrance Memorial Medical CenterTorrance, CA | $15,516 |
Highest
| Stanford HospitalPalo Alto, CA | $41,325 |
|---|---|
| Scripps Memorial Hospital la JollaLa Jolla, CA | $36,532 |
| Santa Clara Valley Medical CenterSan Jose, CA | $35,568 |
| UCSF Medical CenterSan Francisco, CA | $33,556 |
| University of California San Diego Medical CenterSan Diego, CA | $31,837 |
Medical back problems with major complications in other states
Questions
How much does medical back problems with major complications cost in California?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for medical back problems with major complications (DRG 551) at 50 hospitals in California was billed at $145,813 on average, while the average total payment was $20,804, of which Medicare paid $17,491. 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 California, average charges were 7.0 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.