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 201–250. Download as CSV
| Hospital | Cases | Average payment | vs national average | Medicare paid | Billed charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis-Downtown | 85 | $15,703 | About average | $14,067 | $129,278 |
| SSM Health DePaul Hospital St Louis | 53 | $15,704 | About average | $14,072 | $42,640 |
| St Francis Hospital | 19 | $15,713 | About average | $14,081 | $177,096 |
| Savannah Health Services LLC Dba Memorial Health University Medical Center | 46 | $15,720 | About average | $14,088 | $185,976 |
| Southwell Medical, A Campus Of The Regional Medical Center | 23 | $15,720 | About average | $14,088 | $56,349 |
| University Of Kentucky Hospital | 38 | $15,725 | About average | $14,090 | $66,891 |
| Our Lady Of The Lake Regional Medical Center | 13 | $15,726 | About average | $14,094 | $69,975 |
| The Spine Hospital Of Louisiana | 22 | $15,726 | About average | $14,094 | $78,587 |
| University Of Michigan Health - West | 46 | $15,732 | About average | $14,100 | $58,933 |
| OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital | 27 | $15,737 | About average | $14,105 | $79,099 |
| SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Jefferson City | 11 | $15,738 | About average | $14,106 | $80,068 |
| Saint Joseph Hospital | 39 | $15,738 | About average | $14,106 | $48,129 |
| Grand Strand Regional Medical Center | 75 | $15,739 | About average | $14,107 | $199,421 |
| Wellstar McG Health, Affiliated With Medical Col | 25 | $15,739 | About average | $14,107 | $85,439 |
| University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center | 110 | $15,748 | About average | $14,116 | $70,508 |
| Kansas Surgery & Recovery Center | 105 | $15,750 | About average | $14,118 | $35,075 |
| Baptist Health Hardin | 53 | $15,752 | About average | $14,120 | $141,973 |
| Baptist Medical Center | 113 | $15,752 | About average | $14,120 | $222,215 |
| Mary Immaculate Hospital | 111 | $15,754 | About average | $14,122 | $132,535 |
| Avala | 23 | $15,754 | About average | $14,122 | $75,528 |
| East Jefferson General Hospital | 62 | $15,754 | About average | $14,122 | $166,711 |
| Our Lady Of The Lake Surgical Hospital | 13 | $15,754 | About average | $14,122 | $108,609 |
| St Tammany Parish Hospital | 28 | $15,754 | About average | $14,122 | $135,994 |
| Touro Infirmary | 16 | $15,754 | About average | $14,122 | $107,412 |
| Sterling Surgical Hospital | 22 | $15,754 | About average | $14,106 | $77,136 |
| Ascension St Vincent's Clay County | 14 | $15,758 | About average | $14,126 | $133,883 |
| Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center | 122 | $15,766 | About average | $14,132 | $69,597 |
| Norman Regional | 56 | $15,766 | About average | $14,133 | $91,312 |
| T J Samson Community Hospital | 12 | $15,772 | About average | $14,140 | $51,541 |
| MUSC Medical Center | 142 | $15,776 | About average | $14,145 | $96,707 |
| Mercy Medical Center - Cedar Rapids | 55 | $15,776 | About average | $14,144 | $64,323 |
| Baptist Health Medical Center North Little Rock | 87 | $15,777 | About average | $14,145 | $67,285 |
| Spectrum Health | 91 | $15,779 | About average | $14,151 | $57,866 |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway | 42 | $15,780 | About average | $14,146 | $87,516 |
| Manhattan Surgical Hospital LLC | 93 | $15,784 | About average | $14,150 | $75,387 |
| Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital | 38 | $15,787 | About average | $14,154 | $45,632 |
| McLaren Port Huron | 22 | $15,787 | About average | $14,187 | $47,957 |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medi | 234 | $15,788 | About average | $14,155 | $93,038 |
| Citizens Medical Center | 31 | $15,791 | About average | $14,159 | $44,908 |
| Norton Hospitals, Inc | 332 | $15,793 | About average | $14,162 | $158,552 |
| Saint Francis Hospital South, LLC | 11 | $15,794 | About average | $14,162 | $61,969 |
| Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital | 23 | $15,794 | About average | $14,162 | $77,756 |
| Ascension St John Broken Arrow | 97 | $15,794 | About average | $14,161 | $69,177 |
| St Mary's Regional Medical Center | 46 | $15,794 | About average | $14,151 | $102,342 |
| McBride Orthopedic Hospital | 126 | $15,800 | About average | $14,168 | $47,873 |
| Ecu Health Medical Center | 76 | $15,801 | About average | $14,167 | $59,041 |
| Baptist Health - Fort Smith | 13 | $15,819 | About average | $14,187 | $78,663 |
| Community Howard Regional Health Inc. | 13 | $15,823 | About average | $14,191 | $97,016 |
| North Austin Medical Center | 27 | $15,823 | About average | $14,191 | $288,401 |
| Stormont Vail Hospital | 175 | $15,824 | About average | $14,190 | $55,958 |
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.