Inpatient stay · MS-DRG 519 · Surgery or procedure
Back and neck procedures except spinal fusion with CC
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $20,542 per stay at 196 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $15,575 and $22,487.
Also known as: Back surgery, laminectomy, discectomy
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $20,542
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $15,575–$22,487
- Medicare’s share
- $16,124
- Average billed charge
- $102,984
- Hospitals reporting
- 196
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.
196 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare stays for this in 2024; showing 101–150. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Memorial Hospital - Encinitas | 14 | $19,116 | About average | $17,698 | $180,363 |
| Cleveland Clinic | 25 | $19,243 | About average | $15,032 | $74,549 |
| University Of Maryland St Joseph Medical Center | 12 | $19,344 | About average | $18,256 | $21,773 |
| Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center | 17 | $19,394 | About average | $13,051 | $73,298 |
| Christiana Hospital | 22 | $19,410 | About average | $14,874 | $46,063 |
| Mayo Clinic | 24 | $19,460 | About average | $14,652 | $68,293 |
| The Nebraska Medical Center | 13 | $19,499 | About average | $15,683 | $53,249 |
| Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center | 11 | $19,647 | About average | $16,401 | $98,516 |
| Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington | 25 | $19,720 | About average | $17,170 | $30,318 |
| Geisinger Medical Center | 12 | $19,733 | About average | $17,008 | $190,928 |
| Emory University Hospital Midtown | 14 | $19,785 | About average | $14,608 | $68,199 |
| St Charles Medical Center - Bend | 17 | $19,905 | About average | $18,451 | $60,478 |
| Mercy Medical Center Inc | 13 | $19,957 | About average | $18,701 | $23,219 |
| University Of Utah Hospital And Clinics | 11 | $20,020 | About average | $17,222 | $50,012 |
| Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital | 11 | $20,186 | About average | $11,741 | $79,351 |
| University Of Iowa Hospital & Clinics | 17 | $20,261 | About average | $16,957 | $106,807 |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | 17 | $20,264 | About average | $14,211 | $99,646 |
| Kadlec Regional Medical Center | 11 | $20,286 | About average | $13,517 | $98,197 |
| Cape Cod Hospital | 12 | $20,298 | About average | $18,785 | $41,076 |
| Community Regional Medical Center | 11 | $20,408 | About average | $18,652 | $161,318 |
| AdventHealth Orlando | 36 | $20,413 | About average | $12,743 | $132,148 |
| UH Cleveland Medical Center | 16 | $20,487 | About average | $17,161 | $81,801 |
| Tampa General Hospital | 16 | $20,522 | About average | $15,527 | $193,542 |
| Uchicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale | 20 | $20,563 | About average | $12,429 | $63,759 |
| Barnes Jewish Hospital | 42 | $20,632 | About average | $16,366 | $82,266 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital | 25 | $20,700 | About average | $19,240 | $80,496 |
| Tacoma General Allenmore Hospital | 15 | $20,801 | About average | $13,807 | $76,372 |
| University Of Colorado Hospital Authority | 22 | $20,892 | About average | $17,571 | $137,935 |
| Baystate Medical Center | 12 | $20,961 | About average | $18,506 | $38,005 |
| University Of Kentucky Hospital | 11 | $21,153 | About average | $14,269 | $128,056 |
| University Of Michigan Health System | 14 | $21,257 | About average | $18,277 | $101,679 |
| University Of Wisconsin Hospitals & Clinics Authority | 29 | $21,311 | About average | $16,209 | $82,449 |
| University Of Alabama Hospital | 26 | $21,654 | About average | $12,367 | $104,207 |
| AdventHealth Carrollwood | 17 | $21,722 | About average | $12,746 | $147,208 |
| Advocate Lutheran General Hospital | 17 | $21,787 | About average | $15,336 | $51,220 |
| Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura | 12 | $21,827 | About average | $19,788 | $100,182 |
| Emory University Hospital | 18 | $22,035 | About average | $15,920 | $75,042 |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital | 11 | $22,052 | About average | $15,210 | $63,717 |
| Prisma Health Richland Hospital | 21 | $22,193 | About average | $14,760 | $117,695 |
| University Of Mississippi Medical Center | 12 | $22,204 | About average | $15,992 | $51,566 |
| Penn Presbyterian Medical Center | 27 | $22,286 | About average | $17,274 | $176,357 |
| Mountainview Hospital | 11 | $22,311 | About average | $17,022 | $248,982 |
| MarinHealth Medical Center | 14 | $22,313 | About average | $21,147 | $258,252 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | 24 | $22,458 | About average | $15,965 | $128,884 |
| MUSC Medical Center | 32 | $22,462 | About average | $15,308 | $116,507 |
| Providence St Peter Hospital | 11 | $22,470 | About average | $12,488 | $74,821 |
| NorthShore University HealthSystem - Evanston Hospital | 24 | $22,480 | About average | $15,063 | $71,237 |
| John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus | 30 | $22,511 | About average | $19,619 | $215,922 |
| Rhode Island Hospital | 13 | $22,562 | About average | $17,107 | $47,875 |
| University Of Washington Medical Center | 18 | $22,600 | 10% above the national average | $16,530 | $84,500 |
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 | $18K | $87K |
| 2021 | $19K | $90K |
| 2022 | $19K | $93K |
| 2023 | $20K | $97K |
| 2024 | $21K | $103K |
By state, 2024
Case-weighted average payment across each state’s reporting hospitals, lowest first.
Show all 44 states
| State | Hospitals | Cases | Average payment | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 1 | 11 | $11,203 | $11,203–$11,203 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 30 | $13,533 | $13,118–$13,711 |
| Indiana | 2 | 47 | $13,595 | $13,538–$13,796 |
| Kansas | 3 | 47 | $14,052 | $13,187–$15,955 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 20 | $15,092 | $15,092–$15,092 |
| Idaho | 2 | 24 | $15,174 | $14,814–$15,535 |
| Kentucky | 3 | 46 | $15,681 | $13,910–$17,711 |
| Mississippi | 3 | 40 | $16,134 | $13,533–$18,145 |
| Texas | 14 | 263 | $16,203 | $13,625–$17,634 |
| Nebraska | 3 | 40 | $16,234 | $14,672–$17,111 |
| North Dakota | 1 | 29 | $16,579 | $16,579–$16,579 |
| Florida | 15 | 271 | $16,860 | $14,312–$18,318 |
| Montana | 1 | 26 | $17,270 | $17,270–$17,270 |
| Maine | 1 | 14 | $17,480 | $17,480–$17,480 |
| Michigan | 5 | 80 | $17,618 | $16,555–$18,642 |
| Ohio | 9 | 165 | $17,635 | $17,084–$17,925 |
| Utah | 2 | 24 | $17,787 | $16,929–$18,990 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 42 | $18,231 | $17,899–$19,305 |
| Tennessee | 6 | 99 | $18,414 | $15,635–$21,387 |
| Colorado | 3 | 53 | $18,502 | $16,971–$19,789 |
| Missouri | 3 | 74 | $18,587 | $15,790–$19,127 |
| Alabama | 2 | 40 | $19,207 | $16,411–$19,906 |
| Nevada | 3 | 37 | $19,305 | $18,033–$20,196 |
| Delaware | 1 | 22 | $19,410 | $19,410–$19,410 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 172 | $19,592 | $17,647–$21,648 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 40 | $20,177 | $18,220–$20,280 |
| North Carolina | 5 | 78 | $20,194 | $14,920–$24,941 |
| Virginia | 5 | 67 | $20,235 | $16,448–$22,702 |
| Iowa | 1 | 17 | $20,261 | $20,261–$20,261 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 152 | $20,311 | $15,141–$16,140 |
| Arizona | 4 | 59 | $20,673 | $14,746–$24,000 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 67 | $21,059 | $19,172–$22,327 |
| Oregon | 2 | 31 | $21,236 | $20,642–$22,116 |
| Massachusetts | 10 | 235 | $21,267 | $16,976–$23,511 |
| Illinois | 10 | 170 | $21,783 | $17,535–$23,662 |
| Washington | 5 | 77 | $22,103 | $20,801–$22,600 |
| Rhode Island | 1 | 13 | $22,562 | $22,562–$22,562 |
| Alaska | 1 | 12 | $23,212 | $23,212–$23,212 |
| Georgia | 6 | 85 | $24,311 | $18,693–$21,473 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 50 | $24,371 | $23,811–$24,714 |
| New York | 10 | 321 | $25,418 | $22,903–$27,898 |
| California | 18 | 405 | $25,646 | $20,982–$28,089 |
| West Virginia | 1 | 17 | $25,921 | $25,921–$25,921 |
| Maryland | 5 | 101 | $30,530 | $19,957–$29,473 |
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.