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 851–900. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Munson Medical Center | 64 | $17,104 | About average | $15,472 | $43,201 |
| St Lukes Hospital | 60 | $17,107 | About average | $15,475 | $55,813 |
| Columbus Regional Hospital | 26 | $17,109 | About average | $15,477 | $59,418 |
| Elmhurst Memorial Hospital | 119 | $17,116 | About average | $15,482 | $106,348 |
| Essentia Health | 50 | $17,118 | About average | $15,486 | $48,964 |
| Edward Hospital | 61 | $17,129 | About average | $15,494 | $130,633 |
| Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital | 55 | $17,146 | About average | $15,514 | $106,708 |
| Lancaster General Hospital | 112 | $17,157 | About average | $15,525 | $52,816 |
| Mercy Hospital Ada | 14 | $17,159 | About average | $15,527 | $56,263 |
| Mercy Hospital Ardmore, Inc | 20 | $17,159 | About average | $15,518 | $48,762 |
| Stillwater Medical Center | 11 | $17,159 | About average | $15,513 | $54,774 |
| Regional West Medical Center | 28 | $17,160 | About average | $15,526 | $79,122 |
| Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center | 188 | $17,164 | About average | $15,532 | $87,508 |
| Mosaic Life Care At St Joseph | 49 | $17,168 | About average | $15,536 | $55,224 |
| CHI St Alexius Health | 119 | $17,168 | About average | $15,536 | $55,865 |
| Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center | 28 | $17,174 | About average | $15,542 | $47,114 |
| M Health Fairview Woodwinds Hospital | 54 | $17,176 | About average | $15,543 | $57,087 |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital | 122 | $17,178 | About average | $15,546 | $53,736 |
| UPMC Memorial | 12 | $17,178 | About average | $15,546 | $53,108 |
| Wellspan Surgery And Rehabilitation Hospital | 87 | $17,178 | About average | $15,546 | $132,602 |
| Wellspan York Hospital | 49 | $17,179 | About average | $15,547 | $162,202 |
| Trinity Health Muskegon Hospital | 45 | $17,180 | About average | $15,548 | $57,333 |
| Alton Memorial Hospital | 31 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $58,506 |
| Anderson Hospital | 15 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $50,159 |
| Carle Bromenn Medical Center | 18 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $57,265 |
| Carle Health Proctor Hospital | 104 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $98,343 |
| Javon Bea Hospital | 22 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $154,375 |
| Saint Francis Medical Center | 65 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $99,224 |
| Decatur Memorial Hospital | 53 | $17,185 | About average | $15,553 | $119,918 |
| Genesis Medical Center | 19 | $17,185 | About average | $15,551 | $47,339 |
| Herrin Hospital | 31 | $17,185 | About average | $15,546 | $96,746 |
| Community Medical Center | 65 | $17,191 | About average | $15,559 | $76,503 |
| St. Patrick Hospital | 131 | $17,193 | About average | $15,554 | $44,365 |
| ProMedica Charles And Virginia Hickman Hospital | 13 | $17,200 | About average | $15,568 | $66,617 |
| Advocate Condell Medical Center | 46 | $17,202 | About average | $15,569 | $86,332 |
| University Of Michigan Health System | 75 | $17,202 | About average | $15,567 | $86,802 |
| Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital | 75 | $17,202 | About average | $15,562 | $61,213 |
| Owensboro Health Regional Hospital | 45 | $17,204 | About average | $15,572 | $123,310 |
| Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville | 18 | $17,204 | About average | $15,572 | $204,580 |
| Banner North Colorado Medical Center | 29 | $17,214 | About average | $15,577 | $65,619 |
| Cheshire Medical Center | 27 | $17,228 | About average | $15,596 | $48,475 |
| Grand Island Regional Medical Center | 29 | $17,230 | About average | $15,598 | $68,178 |
| Knox Community Hospital | 15 | $17,236 | About average | $15,604 | $56,588 |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center- College Stati | 35 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $54,428 |
| CHI St Lukes Lakeside Hospital | 26 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $137,751 |
| Houston Methodist Sugarland Hospital | 45 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $164,533 |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital | 110 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $215,542 |
| Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital | 81 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $72,565 |
| Tops Surgical Specialty Hospital | 37 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $78,584 |
| HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood | 18 | $17,243 | About average | $15,611 | $351,098 |
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.