Alabama / Dekalb Regional Medical Center
CMS certification 010012 · Fort Payne, AL · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Dekalb Regional Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Dekalb Regional Medical Center reported 274 Medicare inpatient stays across 13 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.92 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Alabama, number 14 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: 67 stays at an average charge of $55,628, 38% below the national average. It also billed 335 outpatient services, charging 12.61 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 274
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.92×
- 3Rank in AL (highest ratio = 1) 14 of 45
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 3
Inpatient stays
For the 13 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Dekalb Regional Medical Center charged more than the national average in 6 (46%). 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 | 67 | $55,628 | -38% | $14,110 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 35 | $57,933 | +3% | $9,596 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 25 | $170,252 | +83% | $14,305 |
| 057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC | 21 | $59,598 | +5% | $10,031 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 18 | $33,547 | -35% | $8,718 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 16 | $52,226 | -13% | $9,791 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 16 | $33,077 | -50% | $10,594 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 14 | $46,755 | -34% | $12,159 |
| 885 Psychoses | 14 | $84,090 | +91% | $11,038 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 13 | $36,950 | -44% | $10,771 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 12 | $49,936 | +3% | $7,558 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 12 | $42,442 | -13% | $7,765 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 11 | $181,163 | +77% | $15,131 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 62 | $15,519 | $1,648 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 60 | $27,695 | $2,765 |
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 41 | $12,330 | $2,026 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 31 | $35,565 | $5,062 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 25 | $67,025 | $6,077 |
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 24 | $26,421 | $2,401 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 17 | $25,902 | $2,665 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 17 | $20,236 | $1,694 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 16 | $18,477 | $1,422 |
| Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 16 | $17,608 | $2,493 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 14 | $158,440 | $11,531 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 12 | $13,801 | $1,410 |
Against the Alabama average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Dekalb Regional Medical Center charged $55,628 on average, 31% less than the Alabama average of $80,125, and was paid $14,110 against a state average of $14,647. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Dekalb Regional Medical Center charged $57,933 on average, 32% more than the Alabama average of $43,997, and was paid $9,596 against a state average of $10,010. For Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC (DRG 470), Dekalb Regional Medical Center charged $170,252 on average, 67% more than the Alabama average of $101,964, and was paid $14,305 against a state average of $14,592. For Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC (DRG 057), Dekalb Regional Medical Center charged $59,598 on average, 42% more than the Alabama average of $41,970, and was paid $10,031 against a state average of $11,337. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $15,519 was 7% below the state average of $16,696. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $27,695 was 8% below the state average of $30,210. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $12,330 was 19% above the state average of $10,352. For Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services (outpatient APC 5361), its average charge of $35,565 was 25% below the state average of $47,318.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Dekalb Regional Medical Center in Fort Payne, AL, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2024-09-26 (CMS case 2715)
- CAP Request — 2025-01-03 (CMS case 2715)
- Closure Notice — 2025-03-27 (CMS case 2715)
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.