Spinal fusion except cervical without MCC
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $34,025 per stay at 656 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $26,898 and $37,465.
Also known as: Spinal fusion, back surgery, spine surgery
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $34,025
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $26,898–$37,465
- Medicare’s share
- $27,892
- Average billed charge
- $167,448
- Hospitals reporting
- 656
Compare hospitals
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.
656 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare stays for this in 2024; showing 651–656. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UMD Upper Chesapeake Medical Center | 39 | $66,570 | 96% above the national average | $61,828 | $74,677 |
| University Of Maryland Medical Center | 81 | $70,846 | 108% above the national average | $69,517 | $77,543 |
| Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital | 11 | $73,852 | 117% above the national average | $25,319 | $350,378 |
| Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center | 12 | $75,981 | 123% above the national average | $74,621 | $87,560 |
| University Of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center | 15 | $81,911 | 141% above the national average | $73,425 | $84,460 |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey | 12 | $143,181 | 321% above the national average | $6,691 | $144,312 |
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 | $32K | $133K |
| 2021 | $33K | $141K |
| 2022 | $34K | $149K |
| 2023 | $33K | $158K |
| 2024 | $34K | $167K |
By state, 2024
Case-weighted average payment across each state’s reporting hospitals, lowest first.
Show all 50 states
| State | Hospitals | Cases | Average payment | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 8 | 136 | $25,680 | $23,598–$25,415 |
| Oklahoma | 13 | 422 | $25,857 | $24,169–$27,162 |
| Kansas | 12 | 375 | $25,970 | $24,690–$28,676 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 86 | $26,197 | $24,125–$27,296 |
| Vermont | 1 | 35 | $26,442 | $26,442–$26,442 |
| Maine | 1 | 14 | $26,574 | $26,574–$26,574 |
| Alabama | 11 | 374 | $26,705 | $22,820–$25,270 |
| Nebraska | 6 | 172 | $27,829 | $25,036–$32,433 |
| Louisiana | 11 | 209 | $28,027 | $23,001–$32,848 |
| Iowa | 8 | 301 | $28,493 | $24,739–$26,853 |
| South Dakota | 6 | 142 | $28,731 | $25,809–$30,780 |
| Tennessee | 14 | 489 | $28,967 | $24,448–$31,678 |
| Florida | 48 | 1,270 | $29,337 | $26,184–$30,486 |
| Texas | 47 | 1,290 | $29,932 | $25,104–$33,347 |
| Missouri | 18 | 367 | $30,376 | $25,530–$31,017 |
| North Carolina | 22 | 581 | $30,523 | $26,220–$31,026 |
| Ohio | 29 | 875 | $30,575 | $26,818–$33,250 |
| Michigan | 18 | 509 | $30,829 | $26,943–$31,893 |
| Idaho | 6 | 96 | $31,030 | $28,070–$35,102 |
| South Carolina | 17 | 441 | $31,162 | $25,032–$35,416 |
| Montana | 4 | 115 | $31,215 | $30,262–$31,875 |
| North Dakota | 2 | 30 | $31,382 | $28,245–$32,337 |
| Arizona | 17 | 474 | $31,836 | $27,742–$33,457 |
| Indiana | 18 | 527 | $32,158 | $26,300–$37,534 |
| Pennsylvania | 35 | 971 | $32,284 | $26,847–$34,376 |
| Utah | 6 | 228 | $32,403 | $28,571–$30,587 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 81 | $32,539 | $28,698–$31,851 |
| Delaware | 1 | 146 | $32,779 | $32,779–$32,779 |
| Virginia | 22 | 631 | $32,891 | $27,600–$33,904 |
| Kentucky | 6 | 163 | $32,900 | $29,527–$35,084 |
| Wisconsin | 8 | 177 | $32,992 | $28,959–$34,509 |
| Colorado | 9 | 192 | $33,087 | $28,748–$35,167 |
| Georgia | 20 | 471 | $33,354 | $27,736–$35,212 |
| Nevada | 4 | 75 | $34,565 | $34,321–$36,438 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | 99 | $34,597 | $28,429–$34,599 |
| Illinois | 23 | 630 | $34,731 | $29,433–$41,901 |
| New Mexico | 2 | 45 | $35,210 | $34,027–$39,631 |
| New Jersey | 19 | 393 | $36,873 | $32,609–$38,482 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 89 | $37,152 | $33,882–$40,350 |
| Minnesota | 10 | 283 | $37,290 | $29,661–$33,938 |
| Oregon | 4 | 66 | $37,944 | $33,172–$43,924 |
| Massachusetts | 17 | 645 | $38,887 | $33,472–$42,623 |
| Washington | 9 | 204 | $40,126 | $36,579–$39,611 |
| District of Columbia | 4 | 215 | $41,002 | $38,648–$43,031 |
| Connecticut | 7 | 197 | $41,102 | $36,989–$44,072 |
| California | 43 | 1,144 | $44,401 | $37,168–$46,655 |
| Hawaii | 1 | 29 | $45,398 | $45,398–$45,398 |
| Alaska | 3 | 59 | $46,935 | $41,387–$51,354 |
| New York | 29 | 826 | $46,978 | $35,705–$47,377 |
| Maryland | 19 | 619 | $52,847 | $43,861–$59,357 |
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.