Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $6,708 per procedure at 2,236 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $6,160 and $6,976.
Also known as: Orthopedic surgery, arthroscopy, outpatient joint surgery
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $6,708
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $6,160–$6,976
- Medicare’s share
- $5,339
- Average billed charge
- $46,846
- Hospitals reporting
- 2,236
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.
2,230 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare procedures for this in 2024; showing 1,351–1,400. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carteret General Hospital | 97 | $6,608 | About average | $5,265 | $23,700 |
| Wellspan Surgery And Rehabilitation Hospital | 63 | $6,609 | About average | $5,263 | $50,032 |
| St Luke's Hospital - Easton Campus | 21 | $6,610 | About average | $5,205 | $82,168 |
| Alton Memorial Hospital | 43 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $33,998 |
| Carle Health Methodist Hospital | 65 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $53,365 |
| St Johns Hospital | 115 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $41,493 |
| Genesis Medical Center | 15 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $18,511 |
| Good Samaritan Regional Health Center | 27 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $40,889 |
| OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center | 20 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $43,469 |
| St Joseph Medical Center | 21 | $6,611 | About average | $5,268 | $42,746 |
| Memorial Medical Center | 160 | $6,612 | About average | $5,267 | $36,456 |
| CGH Medical Center | 20 | $6,612 | About average | $5,263 | $58,684 |
| Central Maine Medical Center | 34 | $6,612 | About average | $5,263 | $28,245 |
| St. Patrick Hospital | 111 | $6,613 | About average | $5,246 | $22,327 |
| Mainehealth Maine Medical Center | 207 | $6,618 | About average | $5,252 | $30,610 |
| Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center | 304 | $6,619 | About average | $5,256 | $34,936 |
| Northwestern Medicine Central Dupage Hospital | 93 | $6,621 | About average | $5,237 | $71,310 |
| Riverside Medical Center | 104 | $6,625 | About average | $5,257 | $48,738 |
| Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center | 101 | $6,626 | About average | $5,245 | $32,170 |
| Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center | 442 | $6,627 | About average | $5,271 | $34,717 |
| Rush Oak Park Hospital | 33 | $6,628 | About average | $5,248 | $37,622 |
| CHI Health St. Francis | 53 | $6,629 | About average | $5,274 | $25,688 |
| McLaren Northern Michigan | 59 | $6,630 | About average | $5,261 | $19,026 |
| Froedtert South Inc. | 55 | $6,631 | About average | $5,263 | $40,500 |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital | 139 | $6,632 | About average | $5,252 | $24,223 |
| Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital | 91 | $6,633 | About average | $5,261 | $67,006 |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Tomball | 46 | $6,634 | About average | $5,285 | $230,724 |
| HCA Houston Healthcare West | 23 | $6,634 | About average | $5,285 | $130,407 |
| Oakbend Medical Center | 26 | $6,634 | About average | $5,285 | $63,739 |
| St Luke's Hospital At The Vintage | 15 | $6,634 | About average | $5,285 | $47,074 |
| St Luke's The Woodlands Hospital | 19 | $6,634 | About average | $5,285 | $49,798 |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Medical Center | 38 | $6,634 | About average | $5,285 | $91,789 |
| Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital | 204 | $6,634 | About average | $5,284 | $72,776 |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest | 15 | $6,634 | About average | $5,284 | $152,572 |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe | 31 | $6,634 | About average | $5,280 | $114,607 |
| Sioux Falls Specialty Hospital | 401 | $6,636 | About average | $5,272 | $43,367 |
| Dunes Surgical Hospital | 150 | $6,636 | About average | $5,267 | $38,572 |
| Samaritan Albany General Hospital | 15 | $6,638 | About average | $5,129 | $35,339 |
| Mary Rutan Hospital | 23 | $6,638 | About average | $5,241 | $52,299 |
| Emory Hillandale Hospital | 12 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $29,416 |
| Emory University Hospital Midtown | 44 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $41,516 |
| Northside Hospital Gwinnett | 57 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $58,005 |
| Piedmont Rockdale Hospital | 18 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $80,495 |
| Piedmont Walton Hospital | 12 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $67,277 |
| Wellstar Douglas Medical Center | 17 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $57,624 |
| Wellstar Paulding Medical Center | 19 | $6,639 | About average | $5,290 | $70,435 |
| United Hospital Center, Inc | 120 | $6,641 | About average | $5,263 | $31,094 |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital | 80 | $6,642 | About average | $5,278 | $30,100 |
| Advocate Lutheran General Hospital | 109 | $6,643 | About average | $5,263 | $25,376 |
| Mercy Hospital | 28 | $6,644 | About average | $5,254 | $29,425 |
National trend
Average payment and billed charge per procedure, and how many Medicare procedures were reported each year.
- Average payment
- Average billed charge
View data as a table
| Year of care | Average payment | Average billed charge |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $5,850 | $36K |
| 2021 | $6,173 | $38K |
| 2022 | $6,265 | $41K |
| 2023 | $6,439 | $43K |
| 2024 | $6,708 | $47K |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 6 | 406 | $3,797 | $3,255–$3,916 |
| Alabama | 40 | 3,199 | $5,780 | $5,631–$5,969 |
| Mississippi | 27 | 1,649 | $5,823 | $5,775–$5,941 |
| Tennessee | 51 | 3,601 | $5,874 | $5,762–$6,061 |
| Louisiana | 44 | 2,934 | $5,934 | $5,870–$6,009 |
| South Carolina | 42 | 4,711 | $5,959 | $5,941–$6,150 |
| West Virginia | 19 | 1,042 | $6,000 | $5,847–$6,062 |
| Oklahoma | 47 | 4,231 | $6,079 | $5,978–$6,242 |
| Ohio | 97 | 6,480 | $6,094 | $6,004–$6,255 |
| Kentucky | 38 | 2,604 | $6,103 | $5,904–$6,196 |
| Arkansas | 27 | 3,228 | $6,128 | $5,995–$6,357 |
| Kansas | 37 | 3,194 | $6,178 | $6,076–$6,414 |
| Missouri | 54 | 4,429 | $6,179 | $6,129–$6,357 |
| Michigan | 73 | 3,919 | $6,197 | $6,092–$6,411 |
| Iowa | 26 | 1,799 | $6,231 | $6,040–$6,446 |
| Georgia | 73 | 4,396 | $6,231 | $6,047–$6,499 |
| Texas | 188 | 14,876 | $6,317 | $6,207–$6,467 |
| Virginia | 56 | 4,434 | $6,335 | $6,122–$6,565 |
| North Carolina | 65 | 5,586 | $6,354 | $6,226–$6,437 |
| Indiana | 65 | 4,325 | $6,361 | $6,324–$6,467 |
| Utah | 31 | 1,792 | $6,374 | $6,159–$6,409 |
| Florida | 131 | 10,094 | $6,397 | $6,364–$6,480 |
| Nebraska | 23 | 1,952 | $6,401 | $6,280–$6,540 |
| New Mexico | 17 | 768 | $6,455 | $6,082–$6,447 |
| Maine | 13 | 897 | $6,469 | $6,139–$6,618 |
| Idaho | 15 | 1,643 | $6,476 | $6,438–$6,749 |
| Wisconsin | 54 | 3,455 | $6,482 | $6,373–$6,665 |
| Pennsylvania | 105 | 7,105 | $6,566 | $6,340–$6,811 |
| Illinois | 83 | 5,712 | $6,652 | $6,540–$6,792 |
| South Dakota | 13 | 1,994 | $6,722 | $6,636–$7,053 |
| Montana | 9 | 943 | $6,754 | $6,664–$7,044 |
| North Dakota | 6 | 913 | $6,773 | $6,707–$6,936 |
| Colorado | 46 | 3,137 | $6,822 | $6,747–$6,810 |
| New Hampshire | 12 | 886 | $6,863 | $6,697–$6,917 |
| Minnesota | 41 | 2,455 | $6,909 | $6,681–$6,908 |
| Wyoming | 10 | 395 | $6,970 | $6,897–$7,183 |
| Arizona | 46 | 3,573 | $7,012 | $6,879–$6,976 |
| Rhode Island | 7 | 391 | $7,123 | $7,191–$7,260 |
| Delaware | 6 | 568 | $7,128 | $7,114–$7,167 |
| District of Columbia | 4 | 325 | $7,212 | $7,161–$7,276 |
| Washington | 43 | 3,552 | $7,247 | $7,117–$7,445 |
| Nevada | 18 | 1,135 | $7,592 | $7,431–$7,662 |
| New Jersey | 50 | 3,791 | $7,592 | $7,398–$7,661 |
| Massachusetts | 49 | 5,761 | $7,605 | $7,565–$7,683 |
| Oregon | 29 | 1,729 | $7,605 | $7,289–$7,507 |
| Alaska | 6 | 341 | $7,642 | $7,412–$7,862 |
| New York | 93 | 6,933 | $7,713 | $7,585–$8,061 |
| Connecticut | 21 | 1,133 | $7,916 | $7,863–$8,026 |
| Hawaii | 10 | 419 | $8,172 | $8,004–$8,526 |
| California | 170 | 11,641 | $9,047 | $8,737–$9,368 |
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. For outpatient procedures it is Medicare’s allowed amount, which leaves out extra “outlier” payments for unusually costly cases; those are shown under the hospital name where CMS reported any, and included in the CSV. 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 Outpatient Hospitals by Provider and Service (Medicare fee-for-service claims). CMS omits hospitals with fewer than 11 procedures. More in the glossary.