Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures
In 2024, Medicare and patients paid an average of $17,392 per procedure at 1,481 hospitals. Half of hospitals averaged between $16,055 and $18,131.
Also known as: Orthopedic surgery, arthroscopy, outpatient joint surgery
National figures, 2024
- Average payment per case
- $17,392
- Typical range (middle half of hospitals)
- $16,055–$18,131
- Medicare’s share
- $15,763
- Average billed charge
- $97,523
- Hospitals reporting
- 1,481
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.
1,479 hospitals reported at least 11 Medicare procedures for this in 2024; showing 801–850. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital | 51 | $16,941 | About average | $15,309 | $93,487 |
| Orthopaedic Hospital Of Wisconsin | 18 | $16,941 | About average | $15,309 | $67,268 |
| Watertown Memorial Hospital | 12 | $16,941 | About average | $15,309 | $80,618 |
| Waukesha Memorial Hospital | 11 | $16,941 | About average | $15,309 | $168,331 |
| Community Hospital East | 11 | $16,944 | About average | $15,312 | $115,237 |
| Community Hospital South, Inc. | 15 | $16,944 | About average | $15,312 | $125,669 |
| Indiana University Health | 18 | $16,944 | About average | $15,312 | $194,967 |
| Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center | 78 | $16,949 | About average | $15,315 | $49,106 |
| Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center | 80 | $16,950 | About average | $15,318 | $78,347 |
| Hamilton Medical Center | 28 | $16,955 | About average | $15,323 | $82,716 |
| Reid Health | 81 | $16,955 | About average | $15,323 | $61,365 |
| Aurora Medical Center - Summit | 31 | $16,956 | About average | $15,324 | $57,038 |
| Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital | 59 | $16,957 | About average | $15,325 | $109,168 |
| Bartow Regional Medical Center | 11 | $16,960 | About average | $15,328 | $84,072 |
| CHI-St Vincent Infirmary | 129 | $16,961 | About average | $15,329 | $81,650 |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock | 22 | $16,971 | About average | $15,339 | $126,200 |
| Seton Medical Center Harker Heights | 24 | $16,971 | About average | $15,339 | $52,349 |
| Alamance Regional Medical Center | 18 | $16,981 | About average | $15,349 | $70,281 |
| UNC Hospitals | 50 | $16,981 | About average | $15,349 | $55,951 |
| Memorial Hermann Hospital System | 60 | $16,983 | About average | $15,351 | $78,143 |
| Reading Hospital | 16 | $16,990 | About average | $15,358 | $75,295 |
| University Of Kansas Health System Great Bend Campus | 18 | $17,003 | About average | $15,371 | $65,904 |
| Labette Health | 52 | $17,003 | About average | $15,371 | $32,888 |
| Baptist Health Paducah | 111 | $17,013 | About average | $15,378 | $218,013 |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center | 38 | $17,021 | About average | $15,389 | $55,366 |
| Northwest Specialty Hospital | 115 | $17,038 | About average | $15,406 | $71,689 |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha | 38 | $17,050 | About average | $15,418 | $78,137 |
| Franciscan Health Crown Point | 24 | $17,052 | About average | $15,428 | $87,229 |
| Northside Hospital Cherokee | 67 | $17,052 | About average | $15,431 | $101,265 |
| Memorial Medical Center | 118 | $17,054 | About average | $15,422 | $109,343 |
| Beaufort County Memorial Hospital | 67 | $17,058 | About average | $15,426 | $45,896 |
| Cookeville Regional Medical Center | 40 | $17,058 | About average | $15,426 | $55,959 |
| Newberry County Memorial Hospital | 56 | $17,058 | About average | $15,426 | $52,624 |
| Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital | 49 | $17,058 | About average | $15,426 | $134,056 |
| Anmed Health | 16 | $17,058 | About average | $15,426 | $105,669 |
| Milton S Hershey Medical Center | 72 | $17,062 | About average | $15,427 | $195,927 |
| The Medical Center Of Aurora & South Hospital | 25 | $17,066 | About average | $15,426 | $289,788 |
| Southeast Georgia Health System- Brunswick Campus | 13 | $17,068 | About average | $15,436 | $65,811 |
| Stafford Hospital, LLC | 43 | $17,069 | About average | $15,437 | $51,266 |
| Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center | 67 | $17,073 | About average | $15,455 | $77,990 |
| Berkeley Medical Center | 21 | $17,075 | About average | $15,443 | $72,894 |
| Lmh | 49 | $17,076 | About average | $15,444 | $56,179 |
| Loyola University Medical Center | 49 | $17,077 | About average | $15,445 | $45,411 |
| Texas Orthopedic Hospital | 95 | $17,078 | About average | $15,446 | $263,902 |
| CHI St. Vincent Hospital Hot Springs | 72 | $17,081 | About average | $15,446 | $39,053 |
| Robert Packer Hospital | 75 | $17,082 | About average | $15,450 | $67,209 |
| United Hospital Center, Inc | 72 | $17,092 | About average | $15,458 | $62,197 |
| Sanford USDMedical Center | 79 | $17,096 | About average | $15,464 | $95,819 |
| Summit Medical Center | 90 | $17,096 | About average | $15,464 | $47,923 |
| Self Regional Healthcare | 49 | $17,097 | About average | $15,465 | $84,176 |
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 | $15K | $75K |
| 2021 | $15K | $116K |
| 2022 | $16K | $92K |
| 2023 | $21K | $112K |
| 2024 | $17K | $98K |
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 | 3 | 119 | $8,999 | $8,453–$10,624 |
| Alabama | 25 | 1,210 | $15,164 | $14,755–$15,349 |
| Utah | 23 | 1,080 | $15,193 | $16,244–$16,659 |
| Tennessee | 33 | 2,084 | $15,325 | $15,130–$15,866 |
| Mississippi | 14 | 683 | $15,430 | $15,026–$15,570 |
| Louisiana | 30 | 1,108 | $15,576 | $15,464–$15,754 |
| West Virginia | 12 | 558 | $15,715 | $14,973–$15,721 |
| Oklahoma | 30 | 1,351 | $15,834 | $15,611–$16,023 |
| Arkansas | 21 | 1,202 | $15,872 | $15,523–$16,345 |
| South Carolina | 30 | 1,929 | $15,906 | $15,619–$16,100 |
| Ohio | 73 | 3,030 | $15,978 | $15,826–$16,279 |
| Kentucky | 22 | 1,410 | $16,042 | $15,742–$16,096 |
| Kansas | 23 | 1,240 | $16,065 | $15,767–$16,241 |
| Iowa | 20 | 1,326 | $16,087 | $15,847–$16,340 |
| Missouri | 35 | 1,775 | $16,103 | $15,799–$16,551 |
| Virginia | 41 | 2,439 | $16,328 | $15,963–$17,432 |
| Texas | 127 | 5,228 | $16,373 | $16,124–$16,789 |
| Michigan | 44 | 1,746 | $16,380 | $15,785–$17,123 |
| Georgia | 42 | 1,898 | $16,409 | $15,899–$17,257 |
| North Carolina | 45 | 2,608 | $16,492 | $16,184–$16,710 |
| Indiana | 47 | 2,034 | $16,575 | $16,509–$16,797 |
| Florida | 86 | 5,085 | $16,629 | $16,634–$16,845 |
| Nebraska | 16 | 1,011 | $16,771 | $16,741–$16,936 |
| Wisconsin | 38 | 1,368 | $16,885 | $16,647–$17,067 |
| Idaho | 13 | 741 | $16,900 | $16,735–$17,428 |
| New Mexico | 9 | 300 | $17,126 | $15,882–$17,343 |
| Maine | 7 | 292 | $17,280 | $16,837–$17,471 |
| Pennsylvania | 65 | 3,133 | $17,344 | $16,610–$17,938 |
| Illinois | 56 | 2,463 | $17,391 | $17,185–$17,654 |
| North Dakota | 6 | 437 | $17,467 | $17,235–$18,360 |
| South Dakota | 10 | 790 | $17,472 | $17,281–$18,289 |
| Montana | 9 | 516 | $17,606 | $17,193–$18,232 |
| Colorado | 37 | 2,121 | $17,744 | $17,468–$17,701 |
| Minnesota | 27 | 1,383 | $18,117 | $17,504–$18,536 |
| Wyoming | 8 | 289 | $18,154 | $18,579–$18,669 |
| New Hampshire | 11 | 403 | $18,184 | $17,654–$18,332 |
| Arizona | 37 | 2,369 | $18,231 | $17,996–$18,131 |
| Delaware | 5 | 457 | $18,546 | $18,654–$18,654 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 157 | $18,657 | $18,634–$18,765 |
| District of Columbia | 4 | 199 | $18,848 | $18,878–$19,023 |
| Washington | 33 | 1,628 | $19,062 | $18,661–$19,156 |
| Alaska | 3 | 180 | $19,345 | $18,819–$19,653 |
| New Jersey | 28 | 1,653 | $19,847 | $19,222–$20,663 |
| Oregon | 20 | 929 | $19,883 | $19,066–$19,507 |
| Massachusetts | 34 | 1,711 | $19,887 | $19,966–$19,966 |
| New York | 51 | 1,970 | $19,922 | $19,552–$20,841 |
| Nevada | 9 | 617 | $19,943 | $19,802–$19,910 |
| Connecticut | 16 | 778 | $20,733 | $20,681–$20,925 |
| Hawaii | 3 | 70 | $21,247 | $21,066–$22,304 |
| California | 97 | 4,332 | $23,412 | $22,851–$23,737 |
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.