Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $12,402 per procedure at 2,213 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $11,345 and $12,814.
Also known as: Orthopedic surgery, arthroscopy, outpatient joint surgery
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $12,402
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $11,345–$12,814
- Medicare’s share
- $10,772
- Average billed charge
- $72,739
- Hospitals reporting
- 2,213
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.
2,207 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare procedures for this in 2024; showing 1,301–1,350. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northside Hospital | 234 | $12,107 | About average | $10,474 | $91,732 |
| Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital | 132 | $12,107 | About average | $10,474 | $73,165 |
| Mary Rutan Hospital | 21 | $12,108 | About average | $10,476 | $67,252 |
| AdventHealth Littleton | 131 | $12,109 | About average | $10,484 | $85,300 |
| Columbus Community Hospital | 65 | $12,109 | About average | $10,492 | $58,863 |
| Uintah Basin Medical Center | 22 | $12,109 | About average | $10,477 | $38,857 |
| St Claire Regional Medical Center | 16 | $12,115 | About average | $10,483 | $56,284 |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital | 309 | $12,116 | About average | $10,484 | $42,075 |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital | 153 | $12,118 | About average | $10,486 | $120,399 |
| Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital | 105 | $12,118 | About average | $10,486 | $98,208 |
| Lewisgale Hospital Alleghany | 40 | $12,118 | About average | $10,486 | $126,237 |
| Uchicago Medicine AdventHealth Glenoaks | 26 | $12,118 | About average | $10,468 | $61,391 |
| NorthShore University HealthSystem - Evanston Hospital | 1,343 | $12,119 | About average | $10,486 | $57,916 |
| Memorial Medical Center | 250 | $12,122 | About average | $10,492 | $67,540 |
| Mercy Hospital Ada | 47 | $12,127 | About average | $10,495 | $42,383 |
| Northside Hospital Cherokee | 470 | $12,128 | About average | $10,498 | $79,134 |
| Columbus Community Hospital, Inc | 83 | $12,128 | About average | $10,495 | $48,615 |
| Regional West Medical Center | 87 | $12,128 | About average | $10,492 | $77,503 |
| SSM Health St Mary's Hospital - Madison | 305 | $12,129 | About average | $10,496 | $41,890 |
| United Regional Health Care System | 155 | $12,131 | About average | $10,499 | $45,795 |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital | 114 | $12,136 | About average | $10,503 | $48,480 |
| Elkhart General Hospital | 79 | $12,137 | About average | $10,505 | $74,355 |
| Parkview Regional Medical Center | 28 | $12,137 | About average | $10,505 | $107,501 |
| Wellspan York Hospital | 46 | $12,137 | About average | $10,500 | $79,435 |
| Ottumwa Regional Health Center | 51 | $12,138 | About average | $10,503 | $54,977 |
| Advocate Christ Hospital & Medical Center | 197 | $12,141 | About average | $10,509 | $57,104 |
| Houston Methodist West Hospital | 255 | $12,145 | About average | $10,513 | $116,344 |
| Riverside Medical Center | 100 | $12,145 | About average | $10,513 | $65,048 |
| Deaconess Illinois Crossroads | 36 | $12,146 | About average | $10,514 | $121,646 |
| Jersey Community Hospital | 17 | $12,146 | About average | $10,514 | $64,086 |
| OSF Saint Katharine Medical Center | 28 | $12,146 | About average | $10,514 | $71,784 |
| CGH Medical Center | 68 | $12,146 | About average | $10,514 | $80,118 |
| St Joseph Medical Center | 146 | $12,146 | About average | $10,514 | $65,201 |
| Trinity Rock Island | 117 | $12,146 | About average | $10,513 | $40,913 |
| Genesis Medical Center | 61 | $12,146 | About average | $10,513 | $31,776 |
| Heartland Regional Medical Center | 37 | $12,146 | About average | $10,512 | $113,328 |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter | 85 | $12,146 | About average | $10,511 | $58,691 |
| Gettysburg Hospital | 149 | $12,149 | About average | $10,551 | $79,823 |
| Benefis Hospitals Inc | 188 | $12,152 | About average | $10,517 | $52,228 |
| Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital | 97 | $12,153 | About average | $10,518 | $31,834 |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital | 706 | $12,158 | About average | $10,524 | $41,684 |
| Elmhurst Memorial Hospital | 339 | $12,158 | About average | $10,522 | $67,272 |
| Virginia Hospital Center | 447 | $12,159 | About average | $10,526 | $48,528 |
| Advocate Condell Medical Center | 269 | $12,160 | About average | $10,527 | $70,592 |
| Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center | 730 | $12,161 | About average | $10,530 | $59,683 |
| Watauga Medical Center | 247 | $12,163 | About average | $10,531 | $45,451 |
| Hendrick Medical Center | 295 | $12,163 | About average | $10,529 | $147,112 |
| Jackson Hospital | 19 | $12,164 | About average | $10,532 | $29,518 |
| Kootenai Health | 234 | $12,164 | About average | $10,529 | $53,454 |
| Paris Regional Medical Center | 44 | $12,164 | About average | $10,532 | $83,662 |
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 | $12K | $61K |
| 2021 | $12K | $66K |
| 2022 | $12K | $68K |
| 2023 | $13K | $71K |
| 2024 | $12K | $73K |
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 | 927 | $6,642 | $5,710–$7,857 |
| Alabama | 36 | 5,517 | $10,733 | $10,538–$10,928 |
| Mississippi | 25 | 1,977 | $10,843 | $10,672–$11,006 |
| Tennessee | 47 | 8,201 | $10,865 | $10,654–$11,195 |
| Louisiana | 44 | 5,417 | $10,909 | $10,733–$11,044 |
| West Virginia | 19 | 2,033 | $11,015 | $10,538–$11,114 |
| Ohio | 104 | 15,215 | $11,123 | $11,029–$11,497 |
| Oklahoma | 42 | 7,005 | $11,159 | $11,026–$11,326 |
| Arkansas | 28 | 5,195 | $11,206 | $11,043–$11,679 |
| South Carolina | 43 | 9,015 | $11,244 | $11,083–$11,366 |
| Kentucky | 42 | 5,097 | $11,263 | $10,995–$11,552 |
| Kansas | 34 | 6,049 | $11,345 | $11,166–$11,885 |
| Iowa | 29 | 5,825 | $11,405 | $11,208–$11,925 |
| Missouri | 53 | 8,629 | $11,419 | $11,333–$11,837 |
| Virginia | 55 | 13,156 | $11,531 | $11,183–$12,118 |
| Michigan | 73 | 8,557 | $11,535 | $11,319–$11,944 |
| Texas | 188 | 27,220 | $11,614 | $11,350–$11,866 |
| Georgia | 71 | 9,007 | $11,645 | $11,145–$12,011 |
| North Carolina | 65 | 11,812 | $11,652 | $11,347–$11,739 |
| New Mexico | 16 | 2,050 | $11,704 | $11,270–$12,005 |
| Utah | 32 | 3,863 | $11,712 | $11,479–$11,775 |
| Indiana | 64 | 9,630 | $11,754 | $11,642–$11,909 |
| Nebraska | 21 | 4,927 | $11,799 | $11,652–$12,128 |
| Florida | 133 | 23,438 | $11,799 | $11,730–$11,906 |
| Idaho | 15 | 2,954 | $11,894 | $11,784–$12,386 |
| Wisconsin | 56 | 7,721 | $11,921 | $11,695–$12,134 |
| Maine | 14 | 1,590 | $12,045 | $11,422–$12,212 |
| Pennsylvania | 105 | 17,854 | $12,207 | $11,693–$12,571 |
| Montana | 10 | 2,257 | $12,302 | $12,157–$12,991 |
| Illinois | 82 | 14,943 | $12,334 | $12,119–$12,518 |
| South Dakota | 13 | 3,867 | $12,387 | $12,258–$13,048 |
| North Dakota | 6 | 1,935 | $12,448 | $12,260–$12,787 |
| Colorado | 47 | 8,262 | $12,564 | $12,388–$12,511 |
| New Hampshire | 11 | 2,199 | $12,713 | $12,410–$12,672 |
| Minnesota | 42 | 6,532 | $12,735 | $12,361–$12,965 |
| Arizona | 47 | 9,066 | $12,802 | $12,653–$12,814 |
| Wyoming | 10 | 919 | $12,806 | $12,962–$13,194 |
| Delaware | 6 | 2,342 | $13,085 | $13,029–$13,172 |
| District of Columbia | 4 | 774 | $13,274 | $13,278–$13,444 |
| Rhode Island | 8 | 825 | $13,278 | $13,310–$13,335 |
| Washington | 43 | 7,875 | $13,453 | $13,133–$13,721 |
| Alaska | 6 | 992 | $13,858 | $13,747–$14,483 |
| Oregon | 29 | 3,599 | $13,939 | $13,452–$13,786 |
| Nevada | 16 | 2,147 | $13,956 | $13,488–$13,899 |
| Massachusetts | 43 | 9,382 | $13,997 | $13,872–$14,027 |
| New Jersey | 43 | 10,137 | $14,069 | $13,614–$14,536 |
| New York | 91 | 13,630 | $14,226 | $13,725–$14,676 |
| Connecticut | 23 | 3,597 | $14,579 | $14,481–$14,714 |
| Hawaii | 9 | 682 | $14,923 | $14,484–$15,494 |
| California | 164 | 27,002 | $16,486 | $15,996–$16,675 |
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.