Medical back problems without major complications in Massachusetts
What 38 hospitals in Massachusetts charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for medical back problems without major complications (DRG 552), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$22,757
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$9,466
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$7,507
Average per stay
State rank
#38 of 47
1 = lowest average payment
Hospitals in Massachusetts billed an average of $22,757 for medical back problems without major complications, about 2.4 times the average total payment of $9,466. That payment is about the same as the U.S. average 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.
Paid $9,466Billed $22,757
About 42¢ was paid for every $1 hospitals in Massachusetts billed for this stay.
Medicare prices this stay in 2 versions, by how sick the patient was. Compare them in Massachusetts:
Massachusetts hospitals: medical back problems without major complications
Every Massachusetts hospital that billed Medicare for this stay at least 11 times. Click a column to sort.
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment | Medicare paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Shore HospitalSouth Weymouth | 189 | $17,306 | $7,886 | $6,241 |
| Newton-Wellesley HospitalNewton Lower Falls | 88 | $25,675 | $8,591 | $7,054 |
| Umass Memorial Medical Center INCWorcester | 80 | $38,799 | $12,766 | $9,790 |
| Southcoast Hospital Group, INCFall River | 70 | $20,141 | $8,201 | $6,611 |
| Beverly Hospital CorporationBeverly | 68 | $17,200 | $8,069 | $6,750 |
| Union HospitalLynn | 68 | $23,480 | $8,826 | $7,056 |
| Lahey Clinic HospitalBurlington | 65 | $23,019 | $10,510 | $7,962 |
| Winchester HospitalWinchester | 61 | $10,616 | $7,950 | $6,141 |
| Brigham and Women's HosptialBoston | 60 | $50,102 | $12,645 | $9,338 |
| Baystate Medical CenterSpringfield | 59 | $17,470 | $10,537 | $7,958 |
| Good Samaritan Medical Center, a Caritas Family HoBrockton | 59 | $14,598 | $8,086 | $6,733 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital PlymouthPlymouth | 57 | $14,245 | $7,917 | $6,743 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterBoston | 53 | $24,642 | $13,094 | $9,550 |
| Cape Cod HospitalHyannis | 51 | $22,557 | $9,963 | $8,478 |
| Massachusetts General HospitalBoston | 45 | $51,627 | $12,510 | $9,199 |
| Lowell General HospitalLowell | 44 | $19,275 | $8,753 | $6,658 |
| Lawrence General HospitalLawrence | 43 | $19,974 | $9,305 | $7,745 |
| Saint Anne's Hospital, a Caritas Family HospitalFall River | 35 | $15,401 | $8,150 | $7,166 |
| Anna Jaques HospitalNewburyport | 34 | $13,345 | $7,579 | $6,715 |
| Falmouth HospitalFalmouth | 34 | $20,850 | $7,717 | $6,565 |
| Berkshire Medical Center INCPittsfield | 33 | $24,401 | $10,636 | $8,569 |
| Holy Family Hospital, a Caritas Family HospitalMethuen | 31 | $11,725 | $8,357 | $6,842 |
| Healthalliance Hospitals, INCLeominster | 30 | $22,574 | $8,849 | $6,951 |
| Faulkner HospitalBoston | 28 | $28,470 | $9,982 | $7,022 |
| Milton HospitalMilton | 27 | $13,041 | $7,763 | $6,372 |
| Tufts Medical CenterBoston | 27 | $23,532 | $12,171 | $9,005 |
| Melrosewakefield HealthcareMelrose | 24 | $19,616 | $8,557 | $6,768 |
| Boston Medical Center CorporationBoston | 23 | $37,620 | $18,101 | $15,272 |
| Morton Hospital & Medical CenterTaunton | 22 | $11,265 | $7,764 | $6,654 |
| Emerson HospitalConcord | 22 | $14,587 | $7,170 | $5,983 |
| Boston Medical Center-BrightonBrighton | 21 | $13,795 | $11,735 | $8,700 |
| Milford Regional Medical CenterMilford | 21 | $13,684 | $7,931 | $6,660 |
| Mount Auburn HospitalCambridge | 19 | $20,548 | $10,717 | $8,593 |
| Metrowest Medical CenterFramingham | 19 | $49,772 | $9,638 | $7,596 |
| St Vincent HospitalWorcester | 19 | $57,961 | $10,021 | $8,150 |
| Sturdy Memorial HospitalAttleboro | 18 | $14,345 | $7,908 | $6,548 |
| Brockton HospitalBrockton | 14 | $16,400 | $10,468 | $7,645 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - NeedhamNeedham | 12 | $15,148 | $7,526 | $6,030 |
Lowest and highest payments in Massachusetts
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
| Emerson HospitalConcord, MA | $7,170 |
|---|---|
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - NeedhamNeedham, MA | $7,526 |
| Anna Jaques HospitalNewburyport, MA | $7,579 |
| Falmouth HospitalFalmouth, MA | $7,717 |
| Milton HospitalMilton, MA | $7,763 |
Highest
| Boston Medical Center CorporationBoston, MA | $18,101 |
|---|---|
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical CenterBoston, MA | $13,094 |
| Umass Memorial Medical Center INCWorcester, MA | $12,766 |
| Brigham and Women's HosptialBoston, MA | $12,645 |
| Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, MA | $12,510 |
Medical back problems without major complications in other states
Questions
How much does medical back problems without major complications cost in Massachusetts?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for medical back problems without major complications (DRG 552) at 38 hospitals in Massachusetts was billed at $22,757 on average, while the average total payment was $9,466, of which Medicare paid $7,507. 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 Massachusetts, average charges were 2.4 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.