California / Desert Regional Medical Center
CMS certification 050243 · Palm Springs, CA · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Desert Regional Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Desert Regional Medical Center reported 2,127 Medicare inpatient stays across 75 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 12.42 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in California, number 11 of 247 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5.18×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 263 stays at an average charge of $270,514, 200% above the national average. It also billed 665 outpatient services, charging 17.84 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 2,127
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 12.42×
- 3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 11 of 247
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 75 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Desert Regional Medical Center charged more than the national average in 75 (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 | 263 | $270,514 | +200% | $22,268 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 97 | $178,804 | +217% | $15,490 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 72 | $324,517 | +225% | $23,017 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 63 | $290,117 | +188% | $23,349 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 59 | $171,266 | +187% | $15,016 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 52 | $144,646 | +198% | $11,546 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 50 | $341,627 | +234% | $23,245 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 48 | $183,165 | +275% | $13,168 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 46 | $134,593 | +231% | $10,292 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 45 | $255,809 | +248% | $19,603 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 43 | $504,570 | +222% | $39,292 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 41 | $190,720 | +242% | $11,746 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 41 | $229,287 | +169% | $20,457 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 40 | $154,090 | +238% | $11,012 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 39 | $157,023 | +220% | $11,777 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 37 | $227,316 | +222% | $19,154 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 37 | $789,538 | +245% | $60,098 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 34 | $659,710 | +104% | $68,566 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 33 | $117,810 | +211% | $9,574 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 31 | $199,164 | +202% | $16,417 |
| 082 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour with MCC | 29 | $401,186 | +248% | $26,292 |
| 083 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour with CC | 29 | $234,887 | +220% | $15,382 |
| 163 Major Chest Procedures with MCC | 27 | $520,369 | +147% | $50,371 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 27 | $371,335 | +127% | $33,783 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 27 | $89,840 | +124% | $9,392 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 25 | $173,653 | +202% | $13,961 |
| 100 Seizures with MCC | 23 | $279,976 | +197% | $21,715 |
| 313 Chest Pain | 23 | $100,900 | +153% | $10,490 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 23 | $140,088 | +173% | $13,671 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 22 | $205,836 | +171% | $18,148 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 22 | $489,276 | +253% | $30,820 |
| 493 Lower Extremity and Humerus Procedures except Hip, Foot and... | 22 | $325,603 | +173% | $26,964 |
| 563 Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation except Femur, Hip,... | 22 | $137,044 | +222% | $10,572 |
| 605 Trauma To The Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast without... | 22 | $129,985 | +180% | $11,601 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 21 | $659,254 | +185% | $50,582 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 21 | $101,658 | +165% | $9,815 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 21 | $238,580 | +296% | $15,548 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 21 | $124,076 | +235% | $9,252 |
| 023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns... | 20 | $656,644 | +134% | $63,875 |
| 482 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint without CC/MCC | 20 | $225,871 | +190% | $17,333 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 18 | $97,956 | +163% | $10,496 |
| 084 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour without CC/MCC | 17 | $169,412 | +218% | $10,913 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 17 | $111,645 | +129% | $10,676 |
| 184 Major Chest Trauma with CC | 17 | $236,038 | +326% | $12,585 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 17 | $152,267 | +201% | $12,618 |
| 300 Peripheral Vascular Disorders with CC | 17 | $155,709 | +215% | $12,656 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 17 | $146,677 | +306% | $10,228 |
| 917 Poisoning and Toxic Effects of Drugs with MCC | 16 | $220,346 | +194% | $18,287 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 15 | $426,447 | +214% | $34,748 |
| 314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC | 15 | $310,904 | +228% | $23,599 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 15 | $286,518 | +150% | $20,576 |
| 393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC | 15 | $203,928 | +166% | $17,568 |
| 432 Cirrhosis and Alcoholic Hepatitis with MCC | 15 | $192,974 | +102% | $21,860 |
| 445 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with CC | 15 | $207,517 | +257% | $12,944 |
| 004 Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal Diagnosis except... | 14 | $1,423,891 | +132% | $130,034 |
| 086 Traumatic Stupor and Coma <1 Hour with CC | 14 | $184,646 | +170% | $15,278 |
| 175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale | 14 | $191,179 | +193% | $15,781 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 14 | $141,242 | +200% | $11,104 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 14 | $208,781 | +206% | $16,653 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 14 | $121,006 | +173% | $10,832 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 75 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the California average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Desert Regional Medical Center charged $270,514 on average, 89% more than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $22,268 against a state average of $23,020. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Desert Regional Medical Center charged $178,804 on average, 77% more than the California average of $100,739, and was paid $15,490 against a state average of $15,556. For Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC (DRG 064), Desert Regional Medical Center charged $324,517 on average, 86% more than the California average of $174,368, and was paid $23,017 against a state average of $24,500. For Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC (DRG 481), Desert Regional Medical Center charged $290,117 on average, 88% more than the California average of $154,156, and was paid $23,349 against a state average of $23,534. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $71,372 was 71% above the state average of $41,628. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $19,189 was 30% above the state average of $14,749. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $222,846 was 104% above the state average of $109,149. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $57,573 was 42% above the state average of $40,544.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, CA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2024-08-19 (CMS case 2511)
- Met Requirements — 2025-07-15 (CMS case 5740)
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.