Inpatient stays / DRG 451
MS-DRG 451 · 45 hospitals · 3,535 stays
DRG 451: Single Level Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC
Medicare patients had 3,535 stays in DRG 451 in 2024. Hospitals charged an average of $150,069 per stay and were paid $29,699 — a ratio of 5.1 to 1 — of which Medicare's own share averaged $23,735. Average charges ran from $35,359 at the least expensive hospital to $476,630 at the most; half of hospitals charged between $86,619 and $162,319.
- 1Average charge $150,069
- 2Average paid $29,699
- 3Reporting hospitals 45
- 4Medicare stays 3,535
By state
Average charges for DRG 451 were highest in California ($238,529) and lowest in Maryland ($54,019). Payments vary far less than charges, because Medicare sets them: they range across states from $21,857 to $48,832.
| State | Stays | Avg charge | Avg paid | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 306 | $238,529 | $37,626 | 6.3× |
| Arizona | 68 | $205,231 | $28,294 | 7.3× |
| Florida | 236 | $202,573 | $27,290 | 7.4× |
| Colorado | 37 | $200,070 | $29,513 | 6.8× |
| Nevada | 31 | $197,453 | $30,382 | 6.5× |
| New Mexico | 14 | $196,648 | $30,418 | 6.5× |
| Texas | 281 | $184,595 | $27,346 | 6.8× |
| Alaska | 11 | $179,526 | $34,324 | 5.2× |
| New Hampshire | 28 | $172,977 | $30,038 | 5.8× |
| Georgia | 97 | $171,994 | $29,346 | 5.9× |
| Kentucky | 35 | $169,525 | $24,817 | 6.8× |
| Alabama | 90 | $167,338 | $21,857 | 7.7× |
| South Carolina | 90 | $166,124 | $30,003 | 5.5× |
| Indiana | 117 | $163,826 | $25,710 | 6.4× |
| New Jersey | 74 | $157,804 | $31,405 | 5× |
| Tennessee | 91 | $152,528 | $24,157 | 6.3× |
| Washington | 54 | $152,181 | $31,609 | 4.8× |
| Illinois | 140 | $150,717 | $31,014 | 4.9× |
| New York | 140 | $148,540 | $40,436 | 3.7× |
| Mississippi | 25 | $148,424 | $23,306 | 6.4× |
| District of Columbia | 31 | $147,606 | $38,659 | 3.8× |
| Virginia | 95 | $136,077 | $25,960 | 5.2× |
| Idaho | 18 | $135,840 | $24,385 | 5.6× |
| Pennsylvania | 170 | $134,546 | $28,172 | 4.8× |
| Oregon | 24 | $128,297 | $29,380 | 4.4× |
| North Carolina | 111 | $128,034 | $25,861 | 5× |
| Louisiana | 54 | $122,702 | $23,260 | 5.3× |
| West Virginia | 18 | $118,359 | $29,496 | 4× |
| Kansas | 52 | $116,757 | $22,453 | 5.2× |
| Missouri | 55 | $114,819 | $26,337 | 4.4× |
| Wisconsin | 52 | $114,082 | $31,720 | 3.6× |
| Ohio | 142 | $114,052 | $26,935 | 4.2× |
| Iowa | 62 | $107,810 | $24,816 | 4.3× |
| Connecticut | 35 | $107,256 | $40,002 | 2.7× |
| Utah | 48 | $97,534 | $26,808 | 3.6× |
| South Dakota | 25 | $96,672 | $22,649 | 4.3× |
| Arkansas | 31 | $95,963 | $23,741 | 4× |
| Nebraska | 36 | $95,880 | $22,111 | 4.3× |
| Michigan | 113 | $92,972 | $28,382 | 3.3× |
| Oklahoma | 61 | $92,957 | $23,421 | 4× |
| Minnesota | 68 | $85,445 | $28,305 | 3× |
| Montana | 28 | $84,745 | $25,435 | 3.3× |
| Massachusetts | 100 | $82,730 | $34,717 | 2.4× |
| Rhode Island | 19 | $71,704 | $31,792 | 2.3× |
| Maryland | 95 | $54,019 | $48,832 | 1.1× |
Highest average charges
| Hospital | Charge | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · 16 stays | $476,630 | $36,813 |
| NYU Langone Hospitals New York, NY · 11 stays | $375,930 | $45,632 |
| University of California Davis Medical Center Sacramento, CA · 13 stays | $337,494 | $43,107 |
| Burke Medical Center Waynesboro, GA · 11 stays | $329,943 | $31,908 |
| Hendrick Medical Center Abilene, TX · 11 stays | $288,374 | $24,173 |
| Houston Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · 14 stays | $275,973 | $26,635 |
| Sarasota Memorial Hospital Sarasota, FL · 20 stays | $210,427 | $23,696 |
| Huntsville Hospital Huntsville, AL · 12 stays | $191,837 | $23,910 |
| Adventhealth Orlando Orlando, FL · 12 stays | $180,875 | $30,049 |
| Edward Hospital Naperville, IL · 11 stays | $174,171 | $22,599 |
Lowest average charges
| Hospital | Charge | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Kell West Regional Hospital Wichita Falls, TX · 12 stays | $35,359 | $20,255 |
| Oklahoma Surgical Hospital, LLC Tulsa, OK · 18 stays | $44,369 | $21,276 |
| University of MD St Joseph Medical Center Towson, MD · 12 stays | $44,947 | $39,500 |
| Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Baltimore, MD · 14 stays | $54,318 | $48,210 |
| Kansas Spine & Specialty Hospital, LLC Wichita, KS · 21 stays | $62,081 | $19,566 |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital Minneapolis, MN · 11 stays | $65,700 | $24,254 |
| University of Utah Hospital and Clinics Salt Lake City, UT · 13 stays | $66,289 | $30,708 |
| Baylor Scott & White Texas Spine & Joint Hospital Tyler, TX · 12 stays | $67,437 | $20,257 |
| Deaconess Hospital Inc Evansville, IN · 13 stays | $68,250 | $24,018 |
| Baylor Scott and White Surgical Hospital Fortworth Fort Worth, TX · 13 stays | $68,293 | $23,569 |
These are averages over each hospital's Medicare stays in this DRG, which mix simple and complicated cases. A high average charge is the hospital's pricing, not a sign of better or worse care, and not what a patient pays: Medicare patients owe the inpatient deductible, and people with other coverage pay their plan's negotiated rate.
Sources: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024. Hospitals with fewer than 11 stays are suppressed by CMS. Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.