Alabama / Crestwood Medical Center

CMS certification 010131 · Huntsville, AL · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list

Crestwood Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments

Crestwood Medical Center reported 1,440 Medicare inpatient stays across 55 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 15.07 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Alabama, number 2 of 45 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.24×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 141 stays at an average charge of $174,632, 93% above the national average. It also billed 2,862 outpatient services, charging 20.81 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 1,440
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 15.07×
3Rank in AL (highest ratio = 1) 2 of 45
4CMS price-transparency actions 2

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

Inpatient stays

For the 55 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Crestwood Medical Center charged more than the national average in 55 (100%). 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	141	$174,632	+93%	$11,774
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	72	$111,000	+97%	$8,571
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	63	$137,309	+130%	$9,068
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	55	$157,841	+124%	$10,458
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	55	$81,987	+117%	$5,459
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	47	$97,843	+102%	$6,464
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	46	$78,397	+95%	$5,888
455 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC	46	$483,738	+138%	$29,147
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	36	$64,679	+79%	$5,514
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	35	$160,021	+111%	$10,251
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	34	$90,579	+63%	$6,389
310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC	32	$57,554	+100%	$3,720
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	30	$211,016	+109%	$13,246
683 Renal Failure with CC	29	$79,173	+95%	$6,739
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	29	$104,680	+104%	$7,272
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	25	$145,626	+188%	$7,020
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	25	$212,121	+78%	$14,189
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	25	$77,779	+100%	$4,967
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	25	$93,021	+90%	$6,566
460 Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC	24	$320,146	+88%	$22,372
603 Cellulitis without MCC	23	$68,746	+84%	$6,006
281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC	22	$92,572	+83%	$6,649
638 Diabetes with CC	22	$75,285	+81%	$6,380
312 Syncope and Collapse	21	$89,530	+97%	$5,470
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	21	$223,755	+119%	$13,151
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	21	$73,212	+98%	$4,966
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	20	$91,436	+138%	$5,365
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	20	$488,592	+113%	$31,583
282 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive without CC/MCC	19	$112,003	+158%	$5,515
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	19	$279,841	+144%	$12,653
454 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion with CC	18	$561,201	+101%	$38,895
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	17	$118,645	+106%	$7,725
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	17	$102,458	+81%	$7,547
682 Renal Failure with MCC	17	$128,843	+95%	$9,335
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	16	$211,114	+111%	$14,302
069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic	16	$67,689	+34%	$5,150
329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC	16	$472,692	+120%	$27,801
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	16	$134,051	+57%	$11,403
482 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint without CC/MCC	16	$212,245	+172%	$10,009
812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC	16	$89,046	+101%	$5,648
331 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures without CC/MCC	15	$179,291	+109%	$10,453
468 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement without CC/MCC	15	$305,698	+147%	$17,746
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	15	$143,465	+95%	$10,054
472 Cervical Spinal Fusion with CC	14	$218,034	+52%	$17,005
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	14	$134,376	+123%	$8,323
092 Other Disorders of Nervous System with CC	13	$71,598	+39%	$6,395
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	13	$126,757	+98%	$7,561
439 Disorders of Pancreas except Malignancy with CC	13	$73,565	+69%	$5,333
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	12	$96,192	+58%	$8,383
432 Cirrhosis and Alcoholic Hepatitis with MCC	12	$121,221	+27%	$12,302
473 Cervical Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC	12	$190,833	+66%	$15,204
660 Kidney and Ureter Procedures for Non-Neoplasm with CC	12	$158,340	+135%	$9,290
445 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with CC	11	$82,414	+42%	$7,087
536 Fractures of Hip and Pelvis without MCC	11	$64,162	+70%	$4,956
948 Signs and Symptoms without MCC	11	$53,295	+40%	$5,053

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	410	$155,643	$10,838
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	284	$32,260	$1,565
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	208	$62,604	$2,674
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	168	$104,801	$5,838
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	153	$35,457	$1,335
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	143	$81,184	$4,685
Comprehensive Observation Services	129	$36,322	$2,246
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	128	$54,133	$2,694
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	125	$73,658	$4,144
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	119	$65,047	$2,920
Level 1 Nerve Procedures	112	$36,369	$1,555
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	108	$61,827	$2,651
Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures	74	$29,932	$1,318
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	65	$49,938	$3,044
Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures	48	$221,287	$14,876
Level 2 Intraocular Procedures	47	$58,348	$3,313
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	44	$47,550	$2,299
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	42	$73,245	$2,862
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	41	$204,207	$9,086
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	38	$120,860	$8,344
Level 5 ENT Procedures	37	$67,833	$4,939
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	36	$175,839	$8,797
Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures	35	$69,673	$3,141
Level 5 Airway Endoscopy	35	$81,811	$5,378
Level 2 Neurostimulator and Related Procedures	35	$27,229	$2,741

Against the Alabama average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Crestwood Medical Center charged $174,632 on average, 118% more than the Alabama average of $80,125, and was paid $11,774 against a state average of $14,647. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Crestwood Medical Center charged $111,000 on average, 152% more than the Alabama average of $43,997, and was paid $8,571 against a state average of $10,010. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Crestwood Medical Center charged $137,309 on average, 175% more than the Alabama average of $50,009, and was paid $9,068 against a state average of $10,124. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Crestwood Medical Center charged $157,841 on average, 166% more than the Alabama average of $59,377, and was paid $10,458 against a state average of $12,400. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $155,643 was 97% above the state average of $79,031. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $32,260 was 93% above the state average of $16,696. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $62,604 was 107% above the state average of $30,210. For Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5114), its average charge of $104,801 was 93% above the state average of $54,370.

Price-transparency record

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

Met Requirements — 2023-01-04 (CMS case 1139)
Met Requirements — 2025-07-17 (CMS case 5848)

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.