Medical back problems without major complications
What 1,284 hospitals in the U.S. charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for medical back problems without major complications (DRG 552), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$50,120
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$9,373
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$7,114
Average per stay
Volume
43,981
Medicare hospital stays
Hospitals in the U.S. billed an average of $50,120 for medical back problems without major complications, about 5.3 times the average total payment of $9,373.
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.
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
| Saint Luke's East Lee's Summit HospitalLee's Summit, MO | $6,024 |
|---|---|
| Boone Hospital CenterColumbia, MO | $6,048 |
| Cleveland Clinic Avon HospitalAvon, OH | $6,193 |
| Weirton Medical CenterWeirton, WV | $6,206 |
| Southwest General Health CenterMiddleburg Heights, OH | $6,223 |
| Sarasota Memorial Hospital - VeniceNorth Venice, FL | $6,274 |
| Baptist Hospital EastLouisville, KY | $6,286 |
| Lakewood Ranch Medical CenterBradenton, FL | $6,325 |
| Barnes-Jewish St Peters HospitalSt Peters, MO | $6,345 |
| Memorial Healthcare System, INCChattanooga, TN | $6,353 |
Highest
| University of Maryland Medical CenterBaltimore, MD | $34,878 |
|---|---|
| Elmhurst Hospital CenterNew York, NY | $29,097 |
| Jacobi Medical CenterBronx, NY | $26,560 |
| Grady Memorial HospitalAtlanta, GA | $23,271 |
| University of MD Capital Region Medical CenterHyattsville, MD | $21,738 |
| The Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, MD | $20,127 |
| Sinai Hospital of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD | $19,975 |
| UCSF Medical CenterSan Francisco, CA | $19,752 |
| Regional One HealthMemphis, TN | $18,746 |
| Highland HospitalOakland, CA | $18,591 |
Medical back problems without major 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 | 19 | $41,055 | $8,643 | $6,155 – $16,166 |
| Alaska | 2 | $83,640 | $9,673 | $8,557 – $10,565 |
| Arizona | 22 | $50,782 | $8,733 | $6,939 – $12,490 |
| Arkansas | 15 | $27,321 | $7,198 | $6,245 – $9,736 |
| California | 126 | $86,027 | $11,463 | $8,182 – $20,304 |
| Colorado | 20 | $76,131 | $8,431 | $6,880 – $11,838 |
| Connecticut | 15 | $41,065 | $10,795 | $8,694 – $14,112 |
| Delaware | 3 | $30,719 | $9,137 | $8,466 – $12,141 |
| Florida | 116 | $64,564 | $8,304 | $6,274 – $15,700 |
| Georgia | 34 | $48,985 | $10,614 | $5,495 – $23,271 |
| Hawaii | 3 | $34,790 | $12,935 | $11,569 – $17,817 |
| Idaho | 4 | $36,104 | $8,953 | $8,491 – $9,525 |
| Illinois | 62 | $38,845 | $9,297 | $6,827 – $61,769 |
| Indiana | 28 | $33,419 | $8,318 | $6,402 – $11,867 |
| Iowa | 15 | $29,553 | $7,532 | $5,956 – $10,567 |
| Kansas | 12 | $63,095 | $7,955 | $6,059 – $9,605 |
| Kentucky | 15 | $32,477 | $7,648 | $6,286 – $10,987 |
| Louisiana | 13 | $35,583 | $7,658 | $6,328 – $10,951 |
| Maine | 3 | $32,467 | $8,744 | $7,594 – $9,090 |
| Maryland | 30 | $14,279 | $12,869 | $7,667 – $34,878 |
| Massachusetts | 38 | $22,757 | $9,466 | $7,170 – $18,101 |
| Michigan | 42 | $29,945 | $8,667 | $6,409 – $13,771 |
| Minnesota | 19 | $31,047 | $8,895 | $6,441 – $16,380 |
| Mississippi | 11 | $29,866 | $7,405 | $6,427 – $11,258 |
| Missouri | 29 | $37,432 | $8,204 | $6,024 – $13,048 |
| Montana | 7 | $21,163 | $7,819 | $7,087 – $8,832 |
| Nebraska | 10 | $28,845 | $8,645 | $6,389 – $11,566 |
| Nevada | 13 | $88,129 | $9,378 | $8,031 – $11,644 |
| New Hampshire | 10 | $45,374 | $8,537 | $7,200 – $12,086 |
| New Jersey | 48 | $65,911 | $9,831 | $6,993 – $23,352 |
| New Mexico | 5 | $27,161 | $8,952 | $6,026 – $13,231 |
| New York | 72 | $64,086 | $12,009 | $7,820 – $42,393 |
| North Carolina | 28 | $33,662 | $9,102 | $6,475 – $14,939 |
| North Dakota | 4 | $26,463 | $8,473 | $7,232 – $8,948 |
| Ohio | 57 | $31,343 | $8,251 | $5,818 – $11,842 |
| Oklahoma | 10 | $38,087 | $8,356 | $6,304 – $12,098 |
| Oregon | 10 | $33,754 | $10,385 | $8,424 – $13,548 |
| Pennsylvania | 76 | $47,036 | $8,592 | $5,769 – $13,342 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | $27,502 | $9,631 | $7,386 – $11,354 |
| South Carolina | 24 | $48,225 | $8,491 | $5,875 – $13,153 |
| South Dakota | 4 | $37,113 | $9,101 | $7,820 – $10,261 |
| Tennessee | 26 | $43,615 | $8,900 | $6,353 – $18,746 |
| Texas | 83 | $62,840 | $8,978 | $6,437 – $37,989 |
| Utah | 8 | $35,152 | $9,079 | $6,968 – $12,037 |
| Vermont | 1 | $44,168 | $8,707 | – |
| Virginia | 31 | $40,299 | $8,487 | $6,798 – $16,161 |
| Washington | 23 | $41,340 | $9,217 | $7,818 – $12,108 |
| West Virginia | 11 | $29,223 | $8,257 | $6,206 – $10,600 |
| Wisconsin | 18 | $35,942 | $8,798 | $6,796 – $12,463 |
| Wyoming | 2 | $33,342 | $9,868 | $8,982 – $10,584 |
Hospitals that treat the most Medicare patients for this
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Valley HospitalAllentown, PA | 276 | $55,519 | $8,798 |
| Adventhealth OrlandoOrlando, FL | 268 | $66,019 | $8,638 |
| Sarasota Memorial HospitalSarasota, FL | 239 | $42,690 | $7,341 |
| New York-Presbyterian HospitalNew York, NY | 211 | $91,924 | $14,519 |
| NYU Hospitals CenterNew York, NY | 197 | $101,333 | $14,255 |
| Christiana Care Health Services, INC.Newark, DE | 190 | $30,425 | $9,003 |
| South Shore HospitalSouth Weymouth, MA | 189 | $17,306 | $7,886 |
| Ocala Regional Medical CenterOcala, FL | 168 | $96,112 | $9,679 |
| Orlando Regional HealthcareOrlando, FL | 153 | $65,577 | $9,818 |
| North Shore University HospitalManhasset, NY | 149 | $84,974 | $12,222 |
| University HospitalStony Brook, NY | 149 | $83,629 | $12,972 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA | 146 | $170,720 | $13,859 |
| Cjw Medical CenterRichmond, VA | 143 | $76,643 | $7,205 |
| Methodist HospitalSan Antonio, TX | 135 | $66,988 | $8,147 |
| Abington Memorial HospitalAbington, PA | 133 | $34,641 | $8,331 |
Questions
How much does medical back problems without major complications cost in the U.S.?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for medical back problems without major complications (DRG 552) at 1,284 hospitals in the U.S. was billed at $50,120 on average, while the average total payment was $9,373, of which Medicare paid $7,114. Your own cost depends on your insurance, deductible and the hospital.
Which states pay the most and least for medical back problems without major complications?
Among states with at least three hospitals reporting, the average total payment was highest in Hawaii ($12,935), Maryland ($12,869), New York ($12,009) and lowest in Arkansas ($7,198), Mississippi ($7,405), Iowa ($7,532).
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.