Inpatient stays / DRG 556
MS-DRG 556 · 152 hospitals · 8,604 stays
DRG 556: Signs and Symptoms of Musculoskeletal System and Connective Tissue without MCC
Medicare patients had 8,604 stays in DRG 556 in 2024. Hospitals charged an average of $40,348 per stay and were paid $8,233 — a ratio of 4.9 to 1 — of which Medicare's own share averaged $6,306. Average charges ran from $7,347 at the least expensive hospital to $144,099 at the most; half of hospitals charged between $26,310 and $60,936.
- 1Average charge $40,348
- 2Average paid $8,233
- 3Reporting hospitals 152
- 4Medicare stays 8,604
By state
Average charges for DRG 556 were highest in Nevada ($76,439) and lowest in Maryland ($13,546). Payments vary far less than charges, because Medicare sets them: they range across states from $6,282 to $12,137.
| State | Stays | Avg charge | Avg paid | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 96 | $76,439 | $8,380 | 9.1× |
| California | 734 | $66,834 | $10,267 | 6.5× |
| New Jersey | 322 | $60,720 | $8,345 | 7.3× |
| Colorado | 70 | $53,024 | $7,448 | 7.1× |
| Florida | 739 | $52,635 | $7,377 | 7.1× |
| New York | 813 | $50,414 | $10,692 | 4.7× |
| Texas | 441 | $50,267 | $7,906 | 6.4× |
| Arizona | 173 | $44,040 | $7,367 | 6× |
| District of Columbia | 25 | $42,328 | $9,880 | 4.3× |
| Kansas | 108 | $41,644 | $6,805 | 6.1× |
| Pennsylvania | 874 | $39,925 | $7,438 | 5.4× |
| Hawaii | 13 | $39,497 | $10,160 | 3.9× |
| New Hampshire | 35 | $36,971 | $7,046 | 5.2× |
| South Carolina | 120 | $36,049 | $7,634 | 4.7× |
| Connecticut | 44 | $35,518 | $9,336 | 3.8× |
| Washington | 89 | $35,472 | $8,093 | 4.4× |
| Georgia | 179 | $35,339 | $8,228 | 4.3× |
| Tennessee | 140 | $35,330 | $7,108 | 5× |
| Louisiana | 59 | $33,944 | $6,549 | 5.2× |
| Virginia | 187 | $32,716 | $7,021 | 4.7× |
| Illinois | 377 | $32,681 | $8,016 | 4.1× |
| Vermont | 13 | $32,628 | $7,729 | 4.2× |
| Idaho | 18 | $31,221 | $7,182 | 4.3× |
| Oklahoma | 105 | $30,943 | $7,204 | 4.3× |
| Alabama | 108 | $30,756 | $7,279 | 4.2× |
| Oregon | 52 | $29,628 | $8,557 | 3.5× |
| Arkansas | 56 | $29,333 | $6,409 | 4.6× |
| New Mexico | 42 | $29,252 | $8,649 | 3.4× |
| Indiana | 149 | $29,142 | $7,039 | 4.1× |
| Kentucky | 105 | $29,126 | $6,282 | 4.6× |
| Nebraska | 54 | $28,732 | $7,305 | 3.9× |
| Missouri | 190 | $28,701 | $6,990 | 4.1× |
| Utah | 20 | $28,590 | $8,308 | 3.4× |
| North Carolina | 182 | $28,458 | $8,125 | 3.5× |
| South Dakota | 29 | $28,338 | $7,124 | 4× |
| Ohio | 314 | $28,096 | $7,085 | 4× |
| Wisconsin | 144 | $27,517 | $7,701 | 3.6× |
| Delaware | 37 | $27,323 | $7,641 | 3.6× |
| Maine | 24 | $26,351 | $8,611 | 3.1× |
| Minnesota | 156 | $25,677 | $7,422 | 3.5× |
| Iowa | 79 | $24,552 | $6,585 | 3.7× |
| Mississippi | 42 | $24,509 | $6,407 | 3.8× |
| Rhode Island | 26 | $23,994 | $8,131 | 3× |
| West Virginia | 71 | $22,809 | $6,574 | 3.5× |
| Michigan | 296 | $21,644 | $7,381 | 2.9× |
| Montana | 35 | $20,963 | $6,735 | 3.1× |
| North Dakota | 20 | $20,326 | $7,253 | 2.8× |
| Massachusetts | 294 | $18,977 | $8,188 | 2.3× |
| Maryland | 282 | $13,546 | $12,137 | 1.1× |
Highest average charges
| Hospital | Charge | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA · 19 stays | $144,099 | $16,200 |
| Westchester Medical Center Valhalla, NY · 11 stays | $127,690 | $10,470 |
| Good Samaritan Hospital San Jose, CA · 13 stays | $121,591 | $9,267 |
| Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center Thousand Oaks, CA · 14 stays | $109,526 | $9,586 |
| HCA Florida North Florida Hospital Gainesville, FL · 16 stays | $103,016 | $7,995 |
| Temple University Hospital Philadelphia, PA · 21 stays | $96,788 | $12,478 |
| Riverside Community Hospital Riverside, CA · 11 stays | $95,442 | $11,070 |
| Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz, CA · 13 stays | $93,483 | $8,959 |
| UCSF Medical Center San Francisco, CA · 11 stays | $91,687 | $15,931 |
| Mountainview Hospital Las Vegas, NV · 19 stays | $90,920 | $9,111 |
Lowest average charges
| Hospital | Charge | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Surgeons Choice Medical Center Southfield, MI · 65 stays | $7,347 | $5,874 |
| University of MD St Joseph Medical Center Towson, MD · 14 stays | $9,359 | $8,304 |
| Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center, Inc Annapolis, MD · 21 stays | $9,755 | $9,089 |
| Frederick Health Hospital Frederick, MD · 18 stays | $9,917 | $9,011 |
| Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center Rosedale, MD · 11 stays | $12,189 | $10,913 |
| Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical Center Rockville, MD · 12 stays | $12,645 | $11,183 |
| Winchester Hospital Winchester, MA · 11 stays | $13,484 | $6,646 |
| Umd Baltimore Washington Medical Center Glen Burnie, MD · 12 stays | $13,624 | $12,592 |
| Medstar Good Samaritan Hospital Baltimore, MD · 12 stays | $13,630 | $12,128 |
| South Shore Hospital South Weymouth, MA · 36 stays | $13,746 | $6,959 |
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.