New Mexico / Carlsbad Medical Center
CMS certification 320063 · Carlsbad, NM · 1 entry in CMS's price-transparency list
Carlsbad Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Carlsbad Medical Center reported 284 Medicare inpatient stays across 14 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 4.64 times what it was paid — mid-range in New Mexico, number 8 of 16 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.13×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 46 stays at an average charge of $63,259, 30% below the national average. It also billed 411 outpatient services, charging 19.53 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 284
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 4.64×
- 3Rank in NM (highest ratio = 1) 8 of 16
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 1
Inpatient stays
For the 14 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Carlsbad Medical Center charged more than the national average in 6 (43%). 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 | 46 | $63,259 | -30% | $16,780 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 44 | $52,021 | -13% | $11,518 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 33 | $44,136 | -22% | $11,152 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 21 | $57,723 | +14% | $10,168 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 21 | $47,154 | -22% | $11,464 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 18 | $59,759 | +4% | $10,952 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 16 | $45,597 | -35% | $14,532 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 15 | $83,209 | +10% | $14,287 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 13 | $42,440 | -17% | $10,429 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 12 | $47,601 | +32% | $7,218 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 12 | $60,405 | -8% | $12,945 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 11 | $186,863 | +35% | $25,861 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 11 | $43,575 | +7% | $8,298 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 11 | $37,456 | -24% | $9,328 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 225 | $35,330 | $2,544 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 51 | $95,679 | $2,962 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 30 | $39,700 | $2,894 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 21 | $24,258 | $1,456 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 21 | $70,786 | $5,381 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 18 | $32,083 | $3,019 |
| Level 3 Endovascular Procedures | 16 | $132,821 | $10,251 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 15 | $53,940 | $6,318 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 14 | $21,934 | $1,421 |
Against the New Mexico average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Carlsbad Medical Center charged $63,259 on average, 4% less than the New Mexico average of $65,967, and was paid $16,780 against a state average of $17,240. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Carlsbad Medical Center charged $52,021 on average, 11% more than the New Mexico average of $47,073, and was paid $11,518 against a state average of $12,080. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Carlsbad Medical Center charged $44,136 on average, 10% less than the New Mexico average of $49,310, and was paid $11,152 against a state average of $11,350. For Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC (DRG 190), Carlsbad Medical Center charged $57,723 on average, 10% more than the New Mexico average of $52,457, and was paid $10,168 against a state average of $9,880. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $35,330 was 65% above the state average of $21,444. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $95,679 was 164% above the state average of $36,265. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $39,700 was 102% above the state average of $19,625. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $24,258 was 131% above the state average of $10,501.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Carlsbad Medical Center in Carlsbad, NM, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2025-07-17 (CMS case 5836)
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.