Spinal fusion except cervical without major complications
What 656 hospitals in the U.S. charged and were paid for a Medicare hospital stay for spinal fusion except cervical without major complications (DRG 460), from 2024 Medicare claims.
Average charge
$167,448
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$34,025
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$27,892
Average per stay
Volume
18,008
Medicare hospital stays
Hospitals in the U.S. billed an average of $167,448 for spinal fusion except cervical without major complications, about 4.9 times the average total payment of $34,025.
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 $34,025Billed $167,448
About 20¢ was paid for every $1 hospitals in the U.S. billed for this stay.
Medicare prices this stay in 2 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
| Delray Medical CenterDelray Beach, FL | $18,840 |
|---|---|
| Baylor Surgical Hospital at las ColinasIrving, TX | $21,673 |
| Sterling Surgical HospitalSlidell, LA | $21,745 |
| St Vincent's BirminghamBirmingham, AL | $21,783 |
| Jupiter Medical CenterJupiter, FL | $22,370 |
| Crestwood Medical CenterHuntsville, AL | $22,372 |
| Institute for Orthopedic SurgeryLima, OH | $22,399 |
| St Joseph's Hospital - SavannahSavannah, GA | $22,521 |
| Arkansas Surgical HospitalNorth Little Rock, AR | $22,647 |
| Flowers HospitalDothan, AL | $22,781 |
Highest
| University of Maryland Medical CenterBaltimore, MD | $70,846 |
|---|---|
| Upper Chesapeake Medical CenterBel Air, MD | $66,570 |
| Clarian Health PartnersIndianapolis, IN | $61,511 |
| Mount Sinai HospitalNew York, NY | $61,445 |
| UCSF Medical CenterSan Francisco, CA | $61,106 |
| Stanford HospitalPalo Alto, CA | $59,533 |
| The Johns Hopkins HospitalBaltimore, MD | $58,829 |
| Hospital for Special SurgeryNew York, NY | $54,809 |
| UCI Health-OrangeOrange, CA | $54,567 |
| NYU Hospitals CenterNew York, NY | $54,124 |
Spinal fusion except cervical 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 | 11 | $196,598 | $26,705 | $21,783 – $44,858 |
| Alaska | 3 | $292,958 | $46,935 | $36,713 – $56,645 |
| Arizona | 17 | $226,288 | $31,836 | $24,543 – $49,709 |
| Arkansas | 8 | $113,172 | $25,680 | $22,647 – $32,105 |
| California | 43 | $246,995 | $44,401 | $26,010 – $143,181 |
| Colorado | 9 | $262,719 | $33,087 | $26,140 – $39,369 |
| Connecticut | 7 | $124,934 | $41,102 | $36,330 – $49,296 |
| Delaware | 1 | $108,129 | $32,779 | – |
| Florida | 48 | $229,793 | $29,337 | $18,840 – $41,935 |
| Georgia | 20 | $168,708 | $33,354 | $22,521 – $51,631 |
| Hawaii | 1 | $113,804 | $45,398 | – |
| Idaho | 6 | $147,073 | $31,030 | $23,543 – $37,453 |
| Illinois | 23 | $140,587 | $34,731 | $24,577 – $73,852 |
| Indiana | 18 | $256,425 | $32,158 | $25,056 – $61,511 |
| Iowa | 8 | $125,584 | $28,493 | $24,036 – $34,955 |
| Kansas | 12 | $126,851 | $25,970 | $22,960 – $32,873 |
| Kentucky | 6 | $235,466 | $32,900 | $23,473 – $53,163 |
| Louisiana | 11 | $143,118 | $28,027 | $21,745 – $46,939 |
| Maine | 1 | $95,039 | $26,574 | – |
| Maryland | 19 | $58,672 | $52,847 | $32,528 – $81,911 |
| Massachusetts | 17 | $94,360 | $38,887 | $29,370 – $44,521 |
| Michigan | 18 | $107,446 | $30,829 | $24,155 – $43,378 |
| Minnesota | 10 | $104,395 | $37,290 | $27,277 – $48,323 |
| Mississippi | 6 | $132,745 | $26,197 | $22,942 – $34,592 |
| Missouri | 18 | $144,411 | $30,376 | $22,829 – $42,913 |
| Montana | 4 | $95,343 | $31,215 | $29,934 – $32,838 |
| Nebraska | 6 | $120,963 | $27,829 | $24,199 – $33,873 |
| Nevada | 4 | $198,189 | $34,565 | $32,581 – $38,129 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | $154,732 | $34,597 | $25,464 – $40,406 |
| New Jersey | 19 | $184,524 | $36,873 | $29,160 – $41,417 |
| New Mexico | 2 | $129,908 | $35,210 | $31,225 – $42,433 |
| New York | 29 | $191,448 | $46,978 | $30,363 – $61,445 |
| North Carolina | 22 | $145,978 | $30,523 | $24,274 – $42,676 |
| North Dakota | 2 | $124,507 | $31,382 | $26,199 – $34,383 |
| Ohio | 29 | $125,992 | $30,575 | $22,399 – $39,899 |
| Oklahoma | 13 | $145,383 | $25,857 | $22,880 – $43,057 |
| Oregon | 4 | $130,590 | $37,944 | $32,947 – $48,057 |
| Pennsylvania | 35 | $152,459 | $32,284 | $19,649 – $43,182 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | $79,506 | $37,152 | $27,868 – $40,804 |
| South Carolina | 17 | $184,706 | $31,162 | $22,709 – $44,139 |
| South Dakota | 6 | $140,204 | $28,731 | $24,719 – $38,601 |
| Tennessee | 14 | $130,718 | $28,967 | $22,818 – $47,838 |
| Texas | 47 | $205,828 | $29,932 | $21,673 – $46,926 |
| Utah | 6 | $96,462 | $32,403 | $27,661 – $36,279 |
| Vermont | 1 | $107,010 | $26,442 | – |
| Virginia | 22 | $199,664 | $32,891 | $25,230 – $46,595 |
| Washington | 9 | $166,804 | $40,126 | $31,549 – $50,486 |
| West Virginia | 4 | $137,618 | $32,539 | $25,807 – $38,383 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | $126,682 | $32,992 | $27,023 – $46,577 |
Hospitals that treat the most Medicare patients for this
| Hospital | Stays | Avg charge | Avg payment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital for Special SurgeryNew York, NY | 162 | $205,478 | $54,809 |
| Kansas Spine Hospital LLCWichita, KS | 159 | $76,589 | $22,960 |
| Christiana Care Health Services, INC.Newark, DE | 146 | $108,129 | $32,779 |
| Sarasota Memorial HospitalSarasota, FL | 127 | $233,488 | $27,471 |
| Medstar Georgetown University HospitalWashington, DC | 121 | $170,712 | $43,730 |
| New England Baptist HospitalBoston, MA | 121 | $79,644 | $33,607 |
| Brigham and Women's HosptialBoston, MA | 121 | $124,550 | $44,521 |
| The Center for Spinal SurgeryNashville, TN | 121 | $75,016 | $23,775 |
| Cleveland Clinic - Main CampusCleveland, OH | 108 | $103,878 | $35,560 |
| Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, MA | 106 | $133,105 | $43,655 |
| William Beaumont Hospital-TroyTroy, MI | 105 | $101,779 | $26,651 |
| Mayo Clinic - Saint Marys HospitalRochester, MN | 102 | $119,124 | $48,323 |
| University of Iowa Hospital & ClinicsIowa City, IA | 94 | $144,189 | $34,955 |
| Oklahoma Spine HospitalOklahoma City, OK | 94 | $130,839 | $23,850 |
| University Health Care/Univ Hospitals and ClinicsSalt Lake City, UT | 92 | $80,677 | $36,279 |
Questions
How much does spinal fusion except cervical without major complications cost in the U.S.?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for spinal fusion except cervical without major complications (DRG 460) at 656 hospitals in the U.S. was billed at $167,448 on average, while the average total payment was $34,025, of which Medicare paid $27,892. Your own cost depends on your insurance, deductible and the hospital.
Which states pay the most and least for spinal fusion except cervical without major complications?
Among states with at least three hospitals reporting, the average total payment was highest in Maryland ($52,847), New York ($46,978), Alaska ($46,935) and lowest in Arkansas ($25,680), Oklahoma ($25,857), Kansas ($25,970).
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 4.9 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.