Christianacare: charges and Medicare payments

Christianacare reported 16,137 Medicare inpatient stays across 284 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.45 times what it was paid — mid-range in Delaware, number 4 of 6 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.5×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 1193 stays at an average charge of $63,922, 29% below the national average. It also billed 10,909 outpatient services, charging 5.13 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 16,137
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.45×
3Rank in DE (highest ratio = 1) 4 of 6
4CMS price-transparency actions 0

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

Inpatient stays

For the 284 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Christianacare charged more than the national average in 10 (4%). 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	1193	$63,922	-29%	$19,031
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	803	$41,251	-27%	$12,433
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	437	$38,520	-36%	$12,627
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	381	$53,275	-25%	$15,896
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	283	$43,437	-25%	$12,133
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	280	$36,343	-29%	$10,904
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	272	$25,680	-32%	$7,835
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	255	$26,373	-34%	$8,095
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	251	$32,983	-32%	$9,567
683 Renal Failure with CC	235	$29,342	-28%	$9,230
312 Syncope and Collapse	232	$31,988	-30%	$9,170
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	222	$36,234	-35%	$9,779
682 Renal Failure with MCC	217	$47,129	-29%	$14,175
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	195	$71,387	-29%	$21,170
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	190	$30,425	-38%	$9,003
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	189	$159,907	-30%	$51,376
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	184	$236,981	+7%	$45,795
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	173	$28,387	-26%	$8,379
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	170	$92,621	-17%	$24,931
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	166	$74,474	-26%	$19,741
603 Cellulitis without MCC	164	$27,087	-27%	$8,765
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	158	$48,078	-20%	$13,418
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	152	$63,939	-25%	$22,078
460 Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC	146	$108,129	-37%	$32,779
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	136	$34,985	-29%	$10,426
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	132	$34,429	-7%	$8,722
178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC	127	$42,364	-7%	$10,477
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	116	$188,850	+20%	$28,936
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	113	$25,636	-29%	$7,875
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	108	$107,225	-6%	$22,472
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	108	$63,075	-47%	$22,330
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	107	$62,714	-39%	$19,343
638 Diabetes with CC	100	$29,151	-30%	$8,941
025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC	99	$137,012	-41%	$41,694
812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC	98	$31,685	-29%	$9,524
175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale	92	$57,026	-12%	$14,342
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	91	$31,660	-37%	$10,617
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	91	$54,488	-26%	$16,722
811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC	91	$58,754	-14%	$17,365
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	88	$43,674	-28%	$15,005
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	85	$40,544	-28%	$12,223
069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic	81	$32,817	-35%	$7,632
101 Seizures without MCC	79	$32,485	-33%	$8,868
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	79	$56,585	-25%	$14,826
470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of...	77	$58,521	-37%	$16,994
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	76	$311,090	+9%	$71,926
455 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC	76	$147,136	-28%	$42,605
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	75	$49,624	-22%	$11,796
023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns...	74	$176,325	-37%	$52,384
057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC	72	$46,223	-18%	$13,597
699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC	70	$44,034	-7%	$12,838
314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC	68	$66,401	-30%	$22,498
870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours	68	$205,085	-37%	$66,053
100 Seizures with MCC	67	$79,862	-15%	$25,242
472 Cervical Spinal Fusion with CC	67	$75,388	-47%	$27,247
091 Other Disorders of Nervous System with MCC	66	$48,504	-41%	$17,393
202 Bronchitis and Asthma with CC/MCC	66	$29,186	-37%	$9,389
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	66	$23,029	-41%	$8,027
480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC	66	$102,476	-26%	$26,437
176 Pulmonary Embolism without MCC	65	$29,657	-28%	$7,926

Showing the 60 most frequent of 284 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	1,883	$13,217	$2,701
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	1,029	$42,898	$13,004
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	660	$21,210	$3,243
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	556	$6,397	$1,612
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	546	$9,630	$2,015
Level 2 Urology and Related Services	497	$2,580	$680
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	359	$11,752	$3,465
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	342	$20,437	$5,695
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	326	$6,673	$1,896
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	302	$20,337	$5,137
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	276	$10,316	$3,152
Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures	263	$82,909	$18,461
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	244	$29,933	$7,107
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	215	$73,135	$10,807
Level 4 Vascular Procedures	197	$19,076	$5,023
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	193	$10,690	$3,462
Level 5 Airway Endoscopy	181	$23,461	$6,776
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	178	$177,645	$23,393
Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	177	$13,544	$3,796
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	169	$33,934	$10,216
Level 4 Gynecologic Procedures	151	$11,549	$3,105
Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	150	$23,739	$6,474
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	141	$36,305	$10,611
Level 1 Intraocular Procedures	139	$11,829	$2,273
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	118	$3,938	$1,607

Against the Delaware average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Christianacare charged $63,922 on average, 10% more than the Delaware average of $58,234, and was paid $19,031 against a state average of $17,988. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Christianacare charged $41,251 on average, 10% more than the Delaware average of $37,607, and was paid $12,433 against a state average of $11,734. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Christianacare charged $38,520 on average, 1% less than the Delaware average of $38,798, and was paid $12,627 against a state average of $12,102. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Christianacare charged $53,275 on average, 4% more than the Delaware average of $51,272, and was paid $15,896 against a state average of $14,904. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $13,217 was 18% below the state average of $16,076. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $42,898 was 1% above the state average of $42,292. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $21,210 was 13% above the state average of $18,767. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $6,397 was 20% below the state average of $7,975.

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.