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 1,301–1,350. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center | 76 | $19,962 | 15% above the national average | $18,326 | $69,468 |
| Peconic Bay Medical Center | 24 | $19,965 | 15% above the national average | $18,333 | $93,145 |
| Baystate Noble Hospital | 18 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $39,202 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | 25 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $34,821 |
| Brigham And Women Faulkner Hospital | 67 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $55,549 |
| Cape Cod Hospital | 81 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $31,993 |
| Holy Family Hospital | 20 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $57,927 |
| Lowell General Hospital | 22 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $35,227 |
| MelroseWakefield Healthcare | 17 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $42,911 |
| Mercy Medical Center | 17 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $49,512 |
| Merrimack Health Lawrence Hospital | 24 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $42,766 |
| Sturdy Memorial Hospital | 26 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $52,860 |
| Winchester Hospital | 23 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $40,313 |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Plymouth | 38 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $52,634 |
| Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington | 41 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $31,825 |
| Massachusetts General Hospital | 194 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $79,590 |
| Milford Regional Medical Center | 40 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $38,549 |
| Mount Auburn Hospital | 40 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $31,690 |
| Southcoast Hospitals Group | 34 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $80,454 |
| St Vincent Hospital | 11 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $147,997 |
| The Cooley Dickinson Hospital Inc | 14 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $44,318 |
| UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospitals | 13 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,334 | $105,437 |
| Emerson Hospital - | 45 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,333 | $35,682 |
| Northeast Hospital Corporation | 49 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,332 | $33,427 |
| UMass Memorial Medical Center/University Campus | 56 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,329 | $99,418 |
| North Shore Medical Center - | 44 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,328 | $53,861 |
| Newton-Wellesley Hospital | 103 | $19,966 | 15% above the national average | $18,328 | $56,287 |
| Yakima Valley Memorial | 47 | $19,983 | 15% above the national average | $18,348 | $46,706 |
| Providence St Mary Medical Center | 25 | $19,983 | 15% above the national average | $18,343 | $79,041 |
| John Dempsey Hospital Of The University Of Connect | 26 | $20,002 | 15% above the national average | $18,370 | $95,188 |
| Putnam Hospital Center | 17 | $20,004 | 15% above the national average | $18,372 | $108,172 |
| Mat-Su Regional Medical Center | 87 | $20,115 | 16% above the national average | $18,483 | $362,365 |
| Bay Area Hospital | 19 | $20,311 | 17% above the national average | $18,679 | $66,193 |
| Clovis Community Medical Center | 16 | $20,322 | 17% above the national average | $18,686 | $101,905 |
| Holy Name Medical Center | 25 | $20,372 | 17% above the national average | $18,740 | $78,755 |
| The Queens Medical Center | 38 | $20,418 | 17% above the national average | $18,786 | $74,288 |
| Nyu Langone Hospitals | 162 | $20,460 | 18% above the national average | $18,827 | $236,778 |
| Yale-New Haven Hospital | 45 | $20,491 | 18% above the national average | $18,859 | $55,112 |
| Hartford Hospital | 81 | $20,501 | 18% above the national average | $18,869 | $53,846 |
| MidState Medical Center | 85 | $20,512 | 18% above the national average | $18,880 | $53,925 |
| Morristown Medical Center | 162 | $20,647 | 19% above the national average | $19,010 | $89,805 |
| Hospital For Special Surgery | 156 | $20,691 | 19% above the national average | $19,059 | $99,093 |
| Overlook Medical Center | 92 | $20,710 | 19% above the national average | $19,077 | $104,754 |
| Lawrence & Memorial Hospital | 46 | $20,737 | 19% above the national average | $19,105 | $51,949 |
| Saint Mary's Hospital | 20 | $20,737 | 19% above the national average | $19,105 | $64,113 |
| St Francis Hospital & Medical Center | 65 | $20,737 | 19% above the national average | $19,105 | $66,801 |
| Charlotte Hungerford Hospital | 13 | $20,737 | 19% above the national average | $19,105 | $52,265 |
| Waterbury Hospital | 13 | $20,737 | 19% above the national average | $19,105 | $95,958 |
| William W Backus Hospital | 17 | $20,737 | 19% above the national average | $19,105 | $60,159 |
| Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center | 24 | $20,762 | 19% above the national average | $19,130 | $95,726 |
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.