Dysequilibrium
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $7,207 per stay at 405 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $6,024 and $7,769.
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $7,207
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $6,024–$7,769
- Medicare’s share
- $5,179
- Average billed charge
- $47,453
- Hospitals reporting
- 405
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 26 hospitals
- $6,399
- Median hospital
- $6,343
- Lowest to highest
- $5,180–$8,201
- Medicare stays
- 521
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellspan Evangelical Community Hospital | 11 | $5,180 | 28% below the national average | $3,697 | $45,070 |
| Riddle Memorial Hospital | 11 | $5,361 | 26% below the national average | $3,729 | $50,295 |
| Pottstown Hospital | 17 | $5,462 | 24% below the national average | $3,974 | $54,881 |
| Wilkes-Barre General Hospital | 12 | $5,594 | 22% below the national average | $4,047 | $39,727 |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center | 12 | $5,616 | 22% below the national average | $3,098 | $24,382 |
| Chester County Hospital | 36 | $5,619 | 22% below the national average | $4,214 | $36,588 |
| Paoli Hospital | 21 | $5,648 | 22% below the national average | $3,660 | $48,582 |
| Holy Redeemer Hospital And Medical Center | 14 | $5,665 | 21% below the national average | $4,261 | $21,979 |
| St Mary Medical Center | 20 | $5,708 | 21% below the national average | $4,194 | $27,631 |
| Bryn Mawr Hospital | 16 | $5,850 | 19% below the national average | $4,497 | $47,976 |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center | 12 | $6,083 | 16% below the national average | $3,546 | $22,939 |
| Lancaster General Hospital | 18 | $6,108 | 15% below the national average | $4,482 | $24,766 |
| Phoenixville Hospital | 18 | $6,246 | 13% below the national average | $4,493 | $50,819 |
| Doylestown Hospital | 12 | $6,440 | 11% below the national average | $3,116 | $18,163 |
| Jefferson Abington Hospital | 47 | $6,446 | 11% below the national average | $4,758 | $28,655 |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals | 27 | $6,483 | 10% below the national average | $4,729 | $32,191 |
| Wellspan Chambersburg Hospital | 14 | $6,575 | About average | $4,645 | $21,147 |
| Wellspan York Hospital | 11 | $6,708 | About average | $4,819 | $32,877 |
| Reading Hospital | 44 | $6,765 | About average | $5,187 | $38,406 |
| Lehigh Valley Hospital | 64 | $6,940 | About average | $5,105 | $48,058 |
| Jefferson Health- Northeast | 16 | $7,041 | About average | $4,371 | $31,267 |
| Main Line Hospital Lankenau | 11 | $7,050 | About average | $5,259 | $61,024 |
| Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center | 11 | $7,094 | About average | $5,650 | $22,039 |
| St Lukes Hospital | 16 | $7,524 | About average | $5,752 | $65,180 |
| St Luke's Hospital - Monroe Campus | 19 | $7,664 | About average | $4,114 | $73,241 |
| St Luke's Hospital - Anderson Campus | 11 | $8,201 | 14% above the national average | $5,630 | $56,866 |
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 | $6,464 | $36K |
| 2021 | $6,704 | $39K |
| 2022 | $6,773 | $42K |
| 2023 | $7,085 | $45K |
| 2024 | $7,207 | $47K |
By state, 2024
Case-weighted average payment across each state’s reporting hospitals, lowest first.
Show all 42 states
| State | Hospitals | Cases | Average payment | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1 | 11 | $5,120 | $5,120–$5,120 |
| Iowa | 2 | 27 | $5,275 | $5,269–$5,282 |
| New Mexico | 1 | 15 | $5,319 | $5,319–$5,319 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 64 | $5,400 | $5,136–$5,586 |
| Missouri | 10 | 164 | $5,753 | $5,355–$6,109 |
| Alabama | 1 | 12 | $5,831 | $5,831–$5,831 |
| Nebraska | 1 | 19 | $5,883 | $5,883–$5,883 |
| West Virginia | 3 | 49 | $5,936 | $5,183–$6,608 |
| Indiana | 6 | 79 | $5,976 | $5,461–$6,177 |
| Arizona | 7 | 135 | $6,029 | $5,930–$6,263 |
| Mississippi | 1 | 12 | $6,077 | $6,077–$6,077 |
| Virginia | 18 | 344 | $6,094 | $5,663–$6,268 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 42 | $6,109 | $5,951–$6,250 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | 51 | $6,271 | $6,035–$6,525 |
| Ohio | 14 | 217 | $6,339 | $5,505–$6,944 |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | 521 | $6,399 | $5,652–$6,897 |
| Colorado | 4 | 54 | $6,427 | $6,124–$6,749 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 150 | $6,478 | $5,867–$6,960 |
| Florida | 60 | 1,344 | $6,549 | $5,893–$7,157 |
| Kansas | 5 | 76 | $6,595 | $6,151–$6,979 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 47 | $6,656 | $6,446–$6,872 |
| North Carolina | 7 | 126 | $6,678 | $5,916–$6,958 |
| Michigan | 16 | 287 | $6,727 | $6,394–$7,113 |
| Illinois | 21 | 376 | $6,808 | $5,911–$7,582 |
| Massachusetts | 19 | 414 | $6,849 | $6,421–$7,375 |
| Washington | 5 | 71 | $6,851 | $6,861–$6,960 |
| Delaware | 3 | 53 | $6,894 | $6,617–$6,898 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 12 | $6,963 | $6,963–$6,963 |
| Texas | 22 | 420 | $7,011 | $6,187–$7,631 |
| Tennessee | 5 | 94 | $7,036 | $6,622–$7,845 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | 35 | $7,229 | $6,828–$7,586 |
| Georgia | 10 | 163 | $7,341 | $6,412–$7,674 |
| Maine | 1 | 15 | $7,384 | $7,384–$7,384 |
| Oregon | 1 | 12 | $7,400 | $7,400–$7,400 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 88 | $7,413 | $6,075–$6,962 |
| New Jersey | 25 | 396 | $7,446 | $6,642–$7,956 |
| Nevada | 6 | 143 | $7,452 | $7,058–$7,930 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 12 | $8,307 | $8,307–$8,307 |
| California | 28 | 474 | $8,742 | $7,970–$9,017 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 16 | $8,842 | $8,842–$8,842 |
| New York | 31 | 858 | $9,660 | $7,286–$10,456 |
| Maryland | 13 | 223 | $9,995 | $8,663–$10,678 |
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.