Massachusetts / Brigham and Women's Hospital
CMS certification 220110 · Boston, MA · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Brigham and Women's Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
Brigham and Women's Hospital reported 11,164 Medicare inpatient stays across 270 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.92 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Massachusetts, number 3 of 52 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 2×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 382 stays at an average charge of $128,876, 43% above the national average. It also billed 11,182 outpatient services, charging 5.68 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 11,164
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.92×
- 3Rank in MA (highest ratio = 1) 3 of 52
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 270 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Brigham and Women's Hospital charged more than the national average in 170 (63%). 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 | 382 | $128,876 | +43% | $28,764 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 309 | $94,327 | +67% | $18,556 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 216 | $104,573 | +48% | $22,724 |
| 267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 185 | $140,885 | -36% | $55,727 |
| 164 Major Chest Procedures with CC | 178 | $114,103 | -10% | $29,260 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 174 | $195,745 | -15% | $52,037 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 167 | $85,392 | -8% | $23,665 |
| 219 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures... | 158 | $327,057 | -18% | $93,788 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 137 | $101,775 | +2% | $25,496 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 134 | $106,478 | -32% | $36,294 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 127 | $107,510 | -10% | $28,886 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 122 | $83,542 | +14% | $21,200 |
| 460 Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC | 121 | $124,550 | -27% | $44,521 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 120 | $194,760 | +73% | $36,500 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 114 | $47,996 | +19% | $10,894 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 103 | $72,854 | +19% | $16,784 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 102 | $116,551 | +16% | $25,251 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 101 | $310,159 | +35% | $68,282 |
| 235 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization with MCC | 98 | $265,531 | -9% | $65,162 |
| 163 Major Chest Procedures with MCC | 97 | $231,951 | +10% | $55,995 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 96 | $113,770 | +50% | $21,437 |
| 393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC | 96 | $85,738 | +12% | $21,566 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 93 | $89,028 | +48% | $20,476 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 92 | $50,178 | +7% | $12,938 |
| 314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC | 91 | $152,395 | +61% | $33,187 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 90 | $77,969 | +30% | $17,624 |
| 266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 90 | $283,730 | 0% | $77,365 |
| 165 Major Chest Procedures without CC/MCC | 89 | $93,507 | -10% | $22,457 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 89 | $40,016 | +11% | $10,280 |
| 454 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion with CC | 88 | $168,552 | -40% | $71,423 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 81 | $177,755 | +9% | $35,983 |
| 205 Other Respiratory System Diagnoses with MCC | 77 | $145,141 | +64% | $36,944 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 77 | $90,544 | +37% | $20,996 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 75 | $117,687 | +38% | $24,980 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 73 | $39,346 | -3% | $12,134 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 73 | $50,314 | +6% | $13,090 |
| 003 ECMO or Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal... | 72 | $1,222,378 | +16% | $305,848 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 71 | $112,019 | -2% | $22,494 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 69 | $96,796 | +52% | $15,861 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 69 | $53,958 | +11% | $13,654 |
| 840 Lymphoma and Non-Acute Leukemia with MCC | 68 | $192,770 | +24% | $45,589 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 66 | $42,191 | +12% | $10,542 |
| 919 Complications of Treatment with MCC | 66 | $124,251 | +40% | $31,528 |
| 847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis... | 65 | $58,254 | -14% | $16,790 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 64 | $64,411 | +16% | $13,632 |
| 327 Stomach, Esophageal and Duodenal Procedures with CC | 64 | $154,583 | +22% | $33,481 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 63 | $90,135 | +59% | $17,977 |
| 023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns... | 61 | $202,088 | -28% | $66,835 |
| 180 Respiratory Neoplasms with MCC | 61 | $104,689 | +19% | $25,853 |
| 654 Major Bladder Procedures with CC | 61 | $144,451 | -7% | $35,600 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 60 | $170,485 | -21% | $52,623 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 60 | $50,102 | +3% | $12,645 |
| 813 Coagulation Disorders | 60 | $147,584 | +84% | $35,779 |
| 435 Malignancy of Hepatobiliary System or Pancreas with MCC | 59 | $88,882 | -6% | $23,517 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 58 | $53,132 | +17% | $11,085 |
| 406 Pancreas, Liver and Shunt Procedures with CC | 58 | $158,372 | -2% | $34,917 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 58 | $87,541 | +71% | $17,196 |
| 834 Acute Leukemia with MCC | 58 | $283,061 | -1% | $78,563 |
| 326 Stomach, Esophageal and Duodenal Procedures with MCC | 57 | $252,495 | +5% | $61,765 |
| 100 Seizures with MCC | 56 | $123,268 | +31% | $26,496 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 270 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Massachusetts average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Brigham and Women's Hospital charged $128,876 on average, 185% more than the Massachusetts average of $45,229, and was paid $28,764 against a state average of $19,536. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Brigham and Women's Hospital charged $94,327 on average, 211% more than the Massachusetts average of $30,373, and was paid $18,556 against a state average of $12,996. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Brigham and Women's Hospital charged $104,573 on average, 182% more than the Massachusetts average of $37,072, and was paid $22,724 against a state average of $15,861. For Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement Procedures without MCC (DRG 267), Brigham and Women's Hospital charged $140,885 on average, 1% more than the Massachusetts average of $139,600, and was paid $55,727 against a state average of $53,890. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $6,429 was 3% below the state average of $6,596. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $19,420 was 39% above the state average of $14,010. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $16,195 was 22% above the state average of $13,286. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $9,687 was 16% above the state average of $8,334.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2024-02-12 (CMS case 1256)
- Met Requirements — 2025-03-17 (CMS case 3273)
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.