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Inpatient stay · MS-DRG 456 · Surgery or procedure

Spinal fusion except cervical with spinal curvature, malignancy, infection or extensive

In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $122,272 per stay at 17 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $106,008 and $137,792.

Also known as: Spinal fusion, back surgery, spine surgery

National figures, 2024

Average payment per case
$122,272
Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
$106,008–$137,792
Medicare’s share
$104,19385% of the payment
Average billed charge
$547,673
Hospitals reporting
17318 stays

Hospitals in Massachusetts

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.

Location
Massachusetts
Specific hospitals up to 10
Average payment across these 2 hospitals
$95,867National $122,272 · Massachusetts $95,867
Too few hospitals to compare
An average across fewer than 3 hospitals says little about the area. Widen the distance or pick more hospitals.
Medicare stays
56

2 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare stays for this in 2024. Download as CSV

Medicare payments per case for Spinal fusion except cervical with spinal curvature, malignancy, infection or extensive by hospital, 2024
HospitalCasesAverage paymentvs national averageMedicare paidBilled charge
New England Baptist HospitalBoston, MA · CCN 22008831$87,40129% below the national average$70,476$192,792
Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, MA · CCN 22007125$106,36413% below the national average$92,317$319,209

National trend

Average payment and billed charge per stay, and how many Medicare stays were reported each year.

  • Average payment
  • Average billed charge
2020: 201 stays at 14 hospitals · 2021: 199 stays at 14 hospitals · 2022: 219 stays at 13 hospitals · 2023: 235 stays at 13 hospitals · 2024: 318 stays at 17 hospitals
View data as a table
National average payment and billed charge for Spinal fusion except cervical with spinal curvature, malignancy, infection or extensive
Year of careAverage paymentAverage billed charge
2020$101K$419K
2021$90K$450K
2022$104K$551K
2023$110K$532K
2024$122K$548K

By state, 2024

Case-weighted average payment across each state’s reporting hospitals, lowest first.

Show all 11 states
Average payment by state for Spinal fusion except cervical with spinal curvature, malignancy, infection or extensive, 2024
StateHospitalsCasesAverage paymentTypical range
Utah113$86,138$86,138–$86,138
Massachusetts256$95,867$92,142–$101,623
Pennsylvania112$98,671$98,671–$98,671
Colorado115$100,024$100,024–$100,024
District of Columbia111$106,008$106,008–$106,008
Missouri124$114,810$114,810–$114,810
Oregon119$119,085$119,085–$119,085
Maryland114$126,230$126,230–$126,230
Ohio112$127,633$127,633–$127,633
California5111$140,363$125,395–$153,937
New York231$149,886$143,996–$153,865

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.