Minnesota / Buffalo Hospital
CMS certification 240076 · Buffalo, MN
Buffalo Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
Buffalo Hospital reported 215 Medicare inpatient stays across 9 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.1 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Minnesota, number 34 of 43 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 2.98×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 67 stays at an average charge of $30,381, 66% below the national average. It also billed 649 outpatient services, charging 5.04 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 215
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.1×
- 3Rank in MN (highest ratio = 1) 34 of 43
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 9 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Buffalo Hospital charged more than the national average in 0 (0%). 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 | 67 | $30,381 | -66% | $16,638 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 32 | $48,035 | -48% | $17,905 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 28 | $23,377 | -59% | $11,500 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 21 | $17,739 | -64% | $9,365 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 18 | $23,937 | -60% | $11,287 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 15 | $15,939 | -58% | $7,844 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 12 | $14,987 | -61% | $7,580 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 11 | $23,806 | -57% | $8,710 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 11 | $17,039 | -58% | $8,390 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 306 | $8,909 | $2,210 |
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 111 | $14,763 | $2,598 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 47 | $43,268 | $12,562 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 42 | $15,262 | $3,020 |
| Level 3 Intraocular Procedures | 29 | $17,213 | $4,996 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 23 | $6,406 | $1,403 |
| Level 2 Intraocular Procedures | 20 | $14,152 | $3,887 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 19 | $19,808 | $5,284 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 15 | $27,911 | $6,475 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 13 | $5,270 | $1,431 |
| Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 13 | $9,672 | $2,716 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 11 | $10,142 | $1,846 |
Against the Minnesota average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Buffalo Hospital charged $30,381 on average, 49% less than the Minnesota average of $59,297, and was paid $16,638 against a state average of $17,952. For Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC (DRG 470), Buffalo Hospital charged $48,035 on average, 12% less than the Minnesota average of $54,731, and was paid $17,905 against a state average of $16,579. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Buffalo Hospital charged $23,377 on average, 42% less than the Minnesota average of $40,341, and was paid $11,500 against a state average of $11,754. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Buffalo Hospital charged $17,739 on average, 44% less than the Minnesota average of $31,619, and was paid $9,365 against a state average of $9,449. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $8,909 was 8% below the state average of $9,705. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $14,763 was 0% below the state average of $14,738. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $43,268 was 10% above the state average of $39,247. For Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5113), its average charge of $15,262 was 15% above the state average of $13,214.
Price-transparency record
No action in CMS's price-transparency enforcement list (July 2026) matches this hospital's exact name, city and state. That can mean CMS has not reviewed it, or that it is listed under a different name.
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.