California / Bakersfield Memorial Hospital

CMS certification 050036 · Bakersfield, CA · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital: charges and Medicare payments

Bakersfield Memorial Hospital reported 2,360 Medicare inpatient stays across 67 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.77 times what it was paid — mid-range in California, number 98 of 247 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5.18×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 426 stays at an average charge of $120,094, 33% above the national average. It also billed 1,888 outpatient services, charging 7.4 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 2,360
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.77×
3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 98 of 247
4CMS price-transparency actions 3

Average charge per stay at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 67 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Bakersfield Memorial Hospital charged more than the national average in 59 (88%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.

DRG	Stays	Avg charge	vs US	Avg paid
871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC	426	$120,094	+33%	$19,706
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	121	$77,679	+38%	$13,395
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	100	$67,343	+37%	$10,842
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	83	$87,476	+15%	$15,947
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	79	$221,898	-3%	$47,158
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	75	$346,617	+57%	$48,096
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	69	$99,923	+36%	$16,830
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	57	$99,099	+40%	$16,831
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	51	$103,237	+21%	$17,505
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	50	$121,279	+21%	$20,232
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	47	$78,720	+31%	$13,112
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	46	$80,225	+65%	$10,475
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	40	$78,862	+32%	$13,301
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	40	$157,982	+1%	$31,904
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	38	$57,650	+12%	$11,714
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	35	$83,761	+66%	$11,272
252 Other Vascular Procedures with MCC	35	$196,570	+15%	$36,555
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	32	$114,992	+14%	$20,371
682 Renal Failure with MCC	32	$82,691	+25%	$14,842
036 Carotid Artery Stent Procedures without CC/MCC	30	$107,398	+21%	$18,656
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	30	$78,122	+38%	$13,036
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	30	$51,173	+35%	$8,300
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	29	$395,704	+39%	$66,154
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	29	$48,134	+30%	$8,202
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	28	$74,258	+33%	$10,067
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	27	$59,413	+48%	$8,250
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	26	$47,287	+31%	$7,778
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	25	$95,565	+66%	$12,650
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	25	$141,302	-14%	$29,017
683 Renal Failure with CC	25	$51,153	+26%	$9,062
870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours	25	$473,900	+47%	$113,551
253 Other Vascular Procedures with CC	24	$171,471	+30%	$25,650
603 Cellulitis without MCC	22	$53,771	+44%	$9,175
069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic	21	$69,587	+38%	$8,354
023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns...	20	$402,959	+43%	$63,173
281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC	20	$58,551	+16%	$9,906
312 Syncope and Collapse	20	$56,697	+25%	$9,030
637 Diabetes with MCC	20	$110,028	+65%	$16,701
035 Carotid Artery Stent Procedures with CC	19	$122,784	+8%	$22,997
066 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction without...	19	$58,958	+39%	$7,292
314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC	19	$119,356	+26%	$21,272
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	19	$93,815	-18%	$18,461
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	19	$43,767	+12%	$8,217
208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96...	18	$225,689	+66%	$27,400
270 Other Major Cardiovascular Procedures with MCC	18	$181,178	-30%	$50,622
638 Diabetes with CC	18	$57,823	+39%	$9,242
854 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	18	$180,439	+84%	$22,006
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	17	$109,048	+7%	$20,957
100 Seizures with MCC	16	$91,390	-3%	$19,079
239 Amputation for Circulatory System Disorders except Upper...	16	$202,313	-6%	$42,741
310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC	15	$38,374	+34%	$5,960
393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC	15	$87,671	+14%	$16,543
070 Other Cerebrovascular Disorders with MCC	14	$79,890	+5%	$17,298
242 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with MCC	14	$172,895	+8%	$32,773
468 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement without CC/MCC	14	$142,248	+15%	$26,889
025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC	13	$245,526	+6%	$45,149
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	13	$71,681	+12%	$11,178
186 Pleural Effusion with MCC	12	$81,681	+14%	$14,930
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	12	$59,449	+55%	$10,062
313 Chest Pain	12	$57,358	+44%	$7,594

Showing the 60 most frequent of 67 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	572	$35,980	$3,347
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	289	$20,305	$3,924
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	229	$81,936	$16,085
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	97	$76,078	$13,383
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	87	$14,359	$2,340
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	73	$48,645	$7,018
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	70	$27,564	$3,877
Level 4 Vascular Procedures	68	$38,472	$6,756
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	48	$63,893	$13,108
Level 2 Endovascular Procedures	39	$50,983	$7,026
Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures	31	$143,521	$22,822
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	31	$185,257	$29,114
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	30	$32,596	$6,362
Level 4 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	27	$114,777	$23,891
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	26	$61,144	$8,517
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	23	$36,770	$4,253
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	20	$17,681	$1,914
Level 2 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	18	$49,423	$10,435
Level 4 Endovascular Procedures	17	$102,517	$21,503
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	16	$16,494	$1,773
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	16	$26,818	$4,286
Level 2 Urology and Related Services	14	$2,951	$840
Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures	13	$24,543	$3,844
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	12	$25,534	$3,493
Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures	11	$9,211	$1,796

Against the California average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Bakersfield Memorial Hospital charged $120,094 on average, 16% less than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $19,706 against a state average of $23,020. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Bakersfield Memorial Hospital charged $77,679 on average, 23% less than the California average of $100,739, and was paid $13,395 against a state average of $15,556. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Bakersfield Memorial Hospital charged $67,343 on average, 12% less than the California average of $76,120, and was paid $10,842 against a state average of $12,552. For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC (DRG 280), Bakersfield Memorial Hospital charged $87,476 on average, 29% less than the California average of $123,896, and was paid $15,947 against a state average of $19,122. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $35,980 was 14% below the state average of $41,628. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $20,305 was 50% below the state average of $40,544. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $81,936 was 25% below the state average of $109,149. For Level 3 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5193), its average charge of $76,078 was 29% below the state average of $107,140.

Price-transparency record

CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Bakersfield Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield, CA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:

Met Requirements — 2022-12-12 (CMS case 586)
Warning Notice — 2025-06-11 (CMS case 4940)
Closure Notice — 2025-06-24 (CMS case 4940)

A warning notice or corrective-action request is not a finding of wrongdoing; "Met Requirements" and closure notices record that CMS's review ended. Matched to this hospital by exact name, city and state.

Charges are the hospital's list prices averaged over its 2024 Medicare cases; payments are what those cases actually brought in. Neither is what you will pay. For a planned procedure, ask the hospital for its price estimate or, if you are uninsured or self-paying, a good-faith estimate.

Sources: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Medicare Outpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service / by Geography and Service, data year 2024; CMS Hospital Price Transparency Enforcement Activities and Outcomes, July 2026. Checked 2026-10-24. Methodology.