Headaches without MCC
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $10,322 per stay at 110 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $7,427 and $10,341.
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $10,322
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $7,427–$10,341
- Medicare’s share
- $5,895
- Average billed charge
- $55,031
- Hospitals reporting
- 110
Hospitals in Pennsylvania
Narrow by a state, city or ZIP code (optionally a distance around it), and/or pick specific hospitals. With both, your picks are added to the area’s hospitals.
- Average payment across these 11 hospitals
- $10,347
- Median hospital
- $7,745
- Lowest to highest
- $5,999–$12,769
- Medicare stays
- 378
11 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare stays for this in 2024. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paoli Hospital | 11 | $5,999 | 42% below the national average | $4,510 | $54,961 |
| Chester County Hospital | 11 | $6,332 | 39% below the national average | $4,997 | $41,089 |
| Wellspan Chambersburg Hospital | 12 | $6,929 | 33% below the national average | $6,381 | $25,964 |
| Jefferson Abington Hospital | 37 | $7,191 | 30% below the national average | $5,712 | $25,319 |
| Reading Hospital | 15 | $7,618 | 26% below the national average | $6,100 | $36,317 |
| Lehigh Valley Hospital | 46 | $7,745 | 25% below the national average | $5,805 | $54,190 |
| Lancaster General Hospital | 13 | $8,621 | 16% below the national average | $5,070 | $37,932 |
| St Lukes Hospital | 13 | $9,263 | 10% below the national average | $6,181 | $80,068 |
| St Luke's Hospital - Anderson Campus | 14 | $9,364 | About average | $6,926 | $52,497 |
| UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside | 14 | $10,031 | About average | $5,303 | $123,650 |
| Thomas Jefferson University Hospital | 192 | $12,769 | 24% above the national average | $5,936 | $45,306 |
National trend
Average payment and billed charge per stay, and how many Medicare stays were reported each year.
- Average payment
- Average billed charge
View data as a table
| Year of care | Average payment | Average billed charge |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $8,679 | $42K |
| 2021 | $9,604 | $43K |
| 2022 | $10K | $49K |
| 2023 | $10K | $51K |
| 2024 | $10K | $55K |
By state, 2024
Case-weighted average payment across each state’s reporting hospitals, lowest first.
Show all 28 states
| State | Hospitals | Cases | Average payment | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1 | 11 | $5,794 | $5,794–$5,794 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 25 | $6,313 | $6,313–$6,313 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 16 | $6,740 | $6,740–$6,740 |
| Virginia | 5 | 73 | $7,096 | $6,564–$7,427 |
| Colorado | 1 | 11 | $7,110 | $7,110–$7,110 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 11 | $8,001 | $8,001–$8,001 |
| Indiana | 1 | 15 | $8,043 | $8,043–$8,043 |
| Florida | 13 | 299 | $8,062 | $6,910–$8,332 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 11 | $8,155 | $8,155–$8,155 |
| Arizona | 3 | 43 | $8,170 | $6,920–$9,005 |
| Texas | 10 | 177 | $8,312 | $7,434–$9,000 |
| North Carolina | 4 | 49 | $8,332 | $7,360–$8,999 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 72 | $8,413 | $7,315–$9,038 |
| Nevada | 4 | 65 | $8,482 | $7,927–$9,263 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 18 | $8,533 | $8,533–$8,533 |
| Ohio | 4 | 73 | $8,743 | $7,803–$9,808 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 13 | $8,933 | $8,933–$8,933 |
| Delaware | 1 | 31 | $9,037 | $9,037–$9,037 |
| Missouri | 4 | 51 | $9,218 | $8,555–$9,914 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 22 | $9,310 | $7,955–$10,664 |
| Michigan | 4 | 72 | $9,530 | $8,689–$10,476 |
| Kansas | 2 | 45 | $10,163 | $8,675–$10,945 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 | 378 | $10,347 | $7,060–$9,314 |
| New York | 7 | 125 | $11,079 | $8,446–$12,102 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 36 | $11,277 | $10,489–$11,784 |
| Maryland | 3 | 39 | $12,115 | $10,273–$14,001 |
| California | 9 | 114 | $14,050 | $9,125–$15,992 |
| Illinois | 7 | 284 | $16,506 | $9,438–$12,962 |
About these numbers
Average payment is what Medicare paid plus the patient’s deductible and coinsurance (and any other insurer), averaged over the hospital’s Medicare cases. It covers the hospital’s part of the care; doctors bill separately. Billed charges are the hospital’s list prices, which few patients pay.
Medicare sets its payments by formula, adjusting for local wages, teaching programs, the share of low-income patients and unusually costly cases. Those adjustments drive most differences between hospitals, so a lower payment doesn’t mean better or worse care, and Medicare patients’ own costs usually vary much less than the totals. Private insurance pays different, usually higher, prices.
Source: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals by Provider and Service (Medicare fee-for-service claims). CMS omits hospitals with fewer than 11 stays. More in the glossary.