West Virginia / Charleston Area Medical Center

CMS certification 510022 · Charleston, WV · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list

Charleston Area Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments

Charleston Area Medical Center reported 6,561 Medicare inpatient stays across 154 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.15 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in West Virginia, number 3 of 19 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.88×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 785 stays at an average charge of $79,694, 12% below the national average. It also billed 5,578 outpatient services, charging 8.95 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 6,561
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.15×
3Rank in WV (highest ratio = 1) 3 of 19
4CMS price-transparency actions 4

Average charge per stay at Charleston Area Medical Center, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 154 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Charleston Area Medical Center charged more than the national average in 58 (38%). 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	785	$79,694	-12%	$18,057
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	281	$59,281	+5%	$12,561
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	183	$49,875	+2%	$9,979
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	147	$209,795	-8%	$45,567
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	129	$79,566	+5%	$16,007
683 Renal Failure with CC	124	$41,772	+3%	$9,229
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	119	$53,265	-11%	$11,764
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	115	$40,145	0%	$7,535
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	113	$39,719	+5%	$8,251
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	112	$55,381	+9%	$10,482
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	101	$120,865	+6%	$17,928
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	96	$79,125	+8%	$16,615
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	94	$48,880	-12%	$9,223
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	91	$58,744	+2%	$11,511
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	88	$100,151	-1%	$17,488
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	86	$86,572	-13%	$16,784
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	85	$34,374	-5%	$7,524
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	85	$168,179	+3%	$24,948
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	82	$66,441	-6%	$14,691
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	80	$52,396	-18%	$9,801
682 Renal Failure with MCC	77	$55,140	-16%	$12,859
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	76	$47,686	-2%	$9,509
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	74	$301,754	+6%	$52,399
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	73	$185,348	+18%	$24,654
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	73	$51,681	+1%	$10,506
312 Syncope and Collapse	69	$41,686	-8%	$8,234
281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC	67	$46,749	-7%	$9,232
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	63	$55,278	-2%	$10,858
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	62	$37,154	0%	$7,727
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	57	$37,935	-1%	$7,549
603 Cellulitis without MCC	57	$33,563	-10%	$8,038
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	55	$61,983	+3%	$11,497
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	54	$261,929	+18%	$40,137
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	52	$84,992	0%	$16,104
310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC	51	$28,837	0%	$5,593
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	50	$94,836	-16%	$20,187
236 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization without MCC	49	$223,840	+6%	$45,074
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	47	$39,045	-20%	$9,402
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	46	$96,543	-6%	$19,148
981 Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated To Principal Diagnosis...	46	$221,875	+3%	$41,960
854 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	45	$111,090	+13%	$23,155
175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale	42	$79,610	+22%	$14,953
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	41	$39,287	+1%	$8,810
101 Seizures without MCC	40	$37,576	-23%	$8,353
270 Other Major Cardiovascular Procedures with MCC	40	$272,192	+5%	$50,717
948 Signs and Symptoms without MCC	40	$45,225	+19%	$8,121
273 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures with MCC	39	$196,817	-8%	$32,452
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	39	$60,636	-1%	$11,394
313 Chest Pain	38	$42,549	+7%	$7,383
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	38	$108,416	-9%	$23,971
066 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction without...	36	$44,579	+5%	$7,642
699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC	35	$68,388	+44%	$10,830
870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours	35	$226,650	-30%	$51,053
329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC	34	$179,190	-17%	$39,467
638 Diabetes with CC	33	$40,106	-4%	$9,096
811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC	33	$62,849	-8%	$12,658
100 Seizures with MCC	32	$67,316	-29%	$18,319
234 Coronary Bypass with Cardiac Catheterization or Open...	32	$309,583	+15%	$52,771
282 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive without CC/MCC	32	$38,084	-12%	$6,343
305 Hypertension without MCC	30	$41,189	+3%	$8,107

Showing the 60 most frequent of 154 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	700	$21,340	$2,261
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	476	$10,700	$1,632
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	453	$20,536	$2,716
Level 2 Urology and Related Services	442	$3,156	$541
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	430	$8,390	$1,342
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	223	$30,467	$4,325
Level 1 Intraocular Procedures	217	$14,519	$1,928
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	208	$17,354	$2,913
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	203	$86,826	$9,131
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	191	$19,834	$2,668
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	169	$14,524	$1,563
Level 2 Endovascular Procedures	128	$34,974	$4,785
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	118	$37,722	$4,838
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	108	$54,932	$8,482
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	107	$17,533	$2,359
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	89	$25,049	$2,673
Level 3 Airway Endoscopy	89	$13,910	$1,419
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	81	$83,304	$10,500
Level 4 Endovascular Procedures	74	$110,389	$14,480
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	72	$5,837	$1,340
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	72	$28,359	$2,872
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	71	$35,499	$9,048
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	66	$54,628	$5,991
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	61	$35,214	$3,175
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	61	$111,275	$19,479

Against the West Virginia average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Charleston Area Medical Center charged $79,694 on average, 30% more than the West Virginia average of $61,080, and was paid $18,057 against a state average of $15,917. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Charleston Area Medical Center charged $59,281 on average, 52% more than the West Virginia average of $39,062, and was paid $12,561 against a state average of $10,517. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Charleston Area Medical Center charged $49,875 on average, 47% more than the West Virginia average of $33,910, and was paid $9,979 against a state average of $8,525. For Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with MCC (DRG 853), Charleston Area Medical Center charged $209,795 on average, 39% more than the West Virginia average of $151,371, and was paid $45,567 against a state average of $40,133. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $21,340 was 36% above the state average of $15,697. For Level 3 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5373), its average charge of $10,700 was 7% above the state average of $10,017. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $20,536 was 1% below the state average of $20,749. For Level 2 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5372), its average charge of $3,156 was 20% above the state average of $2,637.

Price-transparency record

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

Warning Notice — 2021-09-29 (CMS case 996)
CAP Request — 2022-11-23 (CMS case 996)
Closure Notice — 2023-04-13 (CMS case 996)
Met Requirements — 2025-03-18 (CMS case 3325)

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.