Alabama / DCH Regional Medical Center
CMS certification 010092 · Tuscaloosa, AL · 6 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
DCH Regional Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
DCH Regional Medical Center reported 3,484 Medicare inpatient stays across 92 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.96 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Alabama, number 35 of 45 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.24×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 291, Heart Failure and Shock with MCC: 303 stays at an average charge of $29,461, 48% below the national average. It also billed 2,987 outpatient services, charging 4.78 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 3,484
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.96×
- 3Rank in AL (highest ratio = 1) 35 of 45
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 6
Inpatient stays
For the 92 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, DCH Regional Medical Center 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 303 | $29,461 | -48% | $11,385 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 303 | $53,208 | -41% | $16,546 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 128 | $39,011 | -35% | $11,634 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 116 | $44,126 | -37% | $13,377 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 87 | $18,984 | -50% | $7,606 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 86 | $27,401 | -51% | $9,135 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 84 | $30,939 | -39% | $10,021 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 82 | $21,356 | -47% | $7,809 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 73 | $29,686 | -42% | $11,192 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 73 | $24,202 | -51% | $9,345 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 69 | $21,063 | -53% | $8,599 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 68 | $31,759 | -45% | $10,831 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 66 | $133,971 | -41% | $40,606 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 60 | $52,112 | -48% | $16,882 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 59 | $24,718 | -39% | $8,538 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 56 | $24,082 | -50% | $9,299 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 53 | $21,775 | -40% | $7,913 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 53 | $43,269 | -57% | $16,589 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 52 | $20,060 | -46% | $7,786 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 51 | $45,128 | -32% | $14,679 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 49 | $27,286 | -57% | $9,526 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 46 | $29,859 | -50% | $11,499 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 45 | $58,231 | -49% | $15,926 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 43 | $35,310 | -38% | $10,849 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 42 | $23,875 | -38% | $8,179 |
| 981 Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated To Principal Diagnosis... | 42 | $76,958 | -64% | $32,923 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 40 | $36,652 | -50% | $14,450 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 34 | $21,463 | -55% | $9,289 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 33 | $53,162 | -22% | $11,813 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 32 | $64,231 | -25% | $16,428 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 31 | $38,207 | -66% | $17,100 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 31 | $28,028 | -38% | $8,293 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 31 | $17,511 | -58% | $8,849 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 30 | $75,250 | -37% | $20,122 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 30 | $20,479 | -45% | $8,365 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 29 | $81,000 | -51% | $24,414 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 28 | $12,922 | -55% | $5,828 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 28 | $166,556 | -23% | $40,089 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 26 | $47,385 | -54% | $17,153 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 26 | $25,971 | -47% | $8,694 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 25 | $66,175 | -52% | $23,288 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 25 | $33,920 | -49% | $12,109 |
| 100 Seizures with MCC | 24 | $58,784 | -38% | $18,047 |
| 482 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint without CC/MCC | 24 | $36,500 | -53% | $14,112 |
| 229 Other Cardiothoracic Procedures without MCC | 23 | $76,119 | -54% | $22,663 |
| 393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC | 23 | $34,368 | -55% | $12,563 |
| 175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale | 22 | $33,553 | -49% | $11,817 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 22 | $100,063 | -26% | $25,989 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 21 | $20,332 | -58% | $9,147 |
| 253 Other Vascular Procedures with CC | 21 | $43,741 | -67% | $20,875 |
| 191 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CC | 20 | $24,743 | -38% | $8,244 |
| 264 Other Circulatory System O.R. Procedures | 20 | $102,799 | -31% | $34,160 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 20 | $23,895 | -49% | $9,191 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 20 | $175,866 | -46% | $50,074 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 19 | $72,996 | -53% | $25,692 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 19 | $28,303 | -63% | $13,107 |
| 313 Chest Pain | 19 | $15,329 | -62% | $7,191 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 19 | $19,191 | -51% | $7,965 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 19 | $27,995 | -54% | $11,503 |
| 673 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Procedures with MCC | 19 | $49,291 | -72% | $27,322 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 92 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Alabama average
For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), DCH Regional Medical Center charged $29,461 on average, 33% less than the Alabama average of $43,997, and was paid $11,385 against a state average of $10,010. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), DCH Regional Medical Center charged $53,208 on average, 34% less than the Alabama average of $80,125, and was paid $16,546 against a state average of $14,647. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), DCH Regional Medical Center charged $39,011 on average, 22% less than the Alabama average of $50,009, and was paid $11,634 against a state average of $10,124. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), DCH Regional Medical Center charged $44,126 on average, 26% less than the Alabama average of $59,377, and was paid $13,377 against a state average of $12,400. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $11,350 was 32% below the state average of $16,650. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $5,130 was 54% below the state average of $11,270. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $53,953 was 32% below the state average of $79,031. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $7,410 was 49% below the state average of $14,549.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, AL, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2021-05-18 (CMS case 105)
- CAP Request — 2021-10-27 (CMS case 105)
- Closure Notice — 2022-01-13 (CMS case 105)
- Warning Notice — 2025-03-28 (CMS case 3443)
- Closure Notice — 2025-04-17 (CMS case 3443)
- Warning Notice — 2026-04-17 (CMS case 7490)
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.