Spinal fusion except cervical without major complications in California
What 43 hospitals in California 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
$246,995
Hospital list price billed
Average payment
$44,401
Medicare + patient + other payers
Medicare paid
$37,777
Average per stay
State rank
#40 of 43
1 = lowest average payment
Hospitals in California billed an average of $246,995 for spinal fusion except cervical without major complications, about 5.6 times the average total payment of $44,401. That payment is 30% above the U.S. average 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 $44,401Billed $246,995
About 18¢ 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: spinal fusion except cervical without 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 | 83 | $466,289 | $47,921 | $40,775 |
| Eisenhower Memorial HospitalRancho Mirage | 67 | $178,913 | $38,670 | $36,697 |
| Hoag Orthopedic InstituteIrvine | 57 | $146,728 | $35,754 | $29,410 |
| University of California Davis Medical CenterSacramento | 56 | $399,401 | $53,948 | $47,636 |
| Sutter Roseville Medical CenterRoseville | 51 | $175,826 | $37,446 | $35,955 |
| UCSF Medical CenterSan Francisco | 51 | $295,555 | $61,106 | $53,855 |
| Stanford HospitalPalo Alto | 49 | $414,703 | $59,533 | $49,479 |
| Saint John's Health CenterSanta Monica | 47 | $122,452 | $35,052 | $31,693 |
| Huntington Memorial HospitalPasadena | 47 | $165,437 | $37,504 | $33,591 |
| Scripps Green HospitalLa Jolla | 41 | $307,422 | $48,582 | $37,576 |
| Long Beach Memorial Medical CenterLong Beach | 40 | $158,453 | $42,788 | $34,742 |
| Torrance Memorial Medical CenterTorrance | 33 | $150,062 | $35,426 | $31,533 |
| UCI Health-OrangeOrange | 32 | $200,120 | $54,567 | $48,393 |
| Enloe Medical CenterChico | 30 | $297,590 | $34,767 | $33,135 |
| Santa Rosa Memorial HospitalSanta Rosa | 25 | $297,523 | $42,892 | $39,206 |
| USC University HospitalLos Angeles | 21 | $253,347 | $47,802 | $41,064 |
| Fresno Surgical HospitalFresno | 21 | $35,835 | $33,901 | $32,269 |
| Hoag Memorial Hospital PresbyterianNewport Beach | 20 | $129,261 | $37,128 | $31,169 |
| Mercy Hospital of FolsomFolsom | 20 | $321,147 | $36,013 | $34,544 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage HospitalSanta Barbara | 19 | $215,990 | $45,507 | $34,088 |
| University of California San Diego Medical CenterSan Diego | 18 | $271,064 | $55,292 | $49,018 |
| St Joseph HospitalOrange | 18 | $143,733 | $37,290 | $34,328 |
| Sharp Memorial HospitalSan Diego | 17 | $224,235 | $41,652 | $33,240 |
| Sutter General HospitalSacramento | 17 | $167,091 | $53,994 | $36,879 |
| Orange Coast Memorial Medical CenterFountain Valley | 17 | $180,900 | $35,401 | $33,769 |
| Community Regional Medical CenterFresno | 16 | $192,468 | $42,623 | $33,638 |
| El Camino HospitalMountain View | 16 | $549,607 | $56,149 | $54,486 |
| Mercy San Juan Medical CenterCarmichael | 16 | $219,901 | $37,873 | $36,327 |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med CenterMission Viejo | 16 | $177,854 | $34,037 | $32,405 |
| Riverside Community HospitalRiverside | 15 | $367,506 | $43,200 | $41,235 |
| St Jude Medical CenterFullerton | 15 | $135,456 | $36,823 | $31,762 |
| St Joseph HospitalEureka | 14 | $179,235 | $39,207 | $37,378 |
| Peninsula Medical CenterBurlingame | 14 | $197,325 | $41,936 | $37,147 |
| Santa Monica - UCLA Med Ctr & Orthopaedic HospitalSanta Monica | 14 | $193,050 | $43,228 | $41,218 |
| John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek CampusWalnut Creek | 14 | $443,164 | $41,542 | $39,659 |
| Mercy Medical Center ReddingRedding | 14 | $181,790 | $37,208 | $35,551 |
| USC Arcadia HospitalArcadia | 13 | $137,383 | $26,010 | $24,461 |
| Saddleback Memorial Medical CenterLaguna Hills | 13 | $178,645 | $37,409 | $30,371 |
| Kaiser Foundation HospitalBellflower | 12 | $144,312 | $143,181 | $6,691 |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital la JollaLa Jolla | 12 | $322,122 | $38,307 | $32,520 |
| Community Hospital of the Monterey PeninsulaMonterey | 11 | $195,565 | $40,613 | $39,129 |
| Sonora Community HospitalSonora | 11 | $308,739 | $42,756 | $34,518 |
| Community Memorial Hospital - VenturaVentura | 11 | $222,739 | $40,782 | $38,451 |
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
| USC Arcadia HospitalArcadia, CA | $26,010 |
|---|---|
| Fresno Surgical HospitalFresno, CA | $33,901 |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med CenterMission Viejo, CA | $34,037 |
| Enloe Medical CenterChico, CA | $34,767 |
| Saint John's Health CenterSanta Monica, CA | $35,052 |
Highest
| Kaiser Foundation HospitalBellflower, CA | $143,181 |
|---|---|
| UCSF Medical CenterSan Francisco, CA | $61,106 |
| Stanford HospitalPalo Alto, CA | $59,533 |
| El Camino HospitalMountain View, CA | $56,149 |
| University of California San Diego Medical CenterSan Diego, CA | $55,292 |
Spinal fusion except cervical without major complications in other states
Questions
How much does spinal fusion except cervical without major complications cost in California?
In 2024 Medicare data, a hospital stay for spinal fusion except cervical without major complications (DRG 460) at 43 hospitals in California was billed at $246,995 on average, while the average total payment was $44,401, of which Medicare paid $37,777. 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 5.6 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.