Alabama / Huntsville Hospital

CMS certification 010039 · Huntsville, AL · 5 entries in CMS's price-transparency list

Huntsville Hospital: charges and Medicare payments

Huntsville Hospital reported 9,210 Medicare inpatient stays across 195 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.28 times what it was paid — mid-range in Alabama, number 18 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: 814 stays at an average charge of $69,535, 23% below the national average. It also billed 8,056 outpatient services, charging 7.61 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 9,210
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.28×
3Rank in AL (highest ratio = 1) 18 of 45
4CMS price-transparency actions 5

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

Inpatient stays

For the 195 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Huntsville Hospital charged more than the national average in 24 (12%). 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	814	$69,535	-23%	$14,390
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	389	$40,675	-28%	$9,512
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	200	$56,526	-20%	$11,829
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	186	$46,660	-16%	$7,970
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	140	$71,853	-37%	$15,481
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	133	$81,133	-19%	$14,698
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	131	$37,301	-38%	$9,785
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	130	$27,355	-26%	$6,227
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	127	$34,866	-29%	$7,728
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	123	$79,201	-21%	$14,756
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	119	$59,428	-47%	$16,218
312 Syncope and Collapse	116	$28,490	-37%	$6,670
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	116	$36,702	-24%	$7,698
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	116	$30,162	-25%	$7,282
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	114	$165,694	-28%	$33,907
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	113	$124,180	-21%	$21,550
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	109	$212,976	-4%	$32,807
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	109	$24,636	-32%	$5,938
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	108	$44,075	-26%	$9,467
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	102	$39,319	-31%	$8,852
683 Renal Failure with CC	96	$25,272	-38%	$6,964
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	95	$35,530	-31%	$8,683
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	95	$26,230	-31%	$6,479
178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC	94	$40,841	-10%	$7,594
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	92	$74,785	-27%	$14,966
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	91	$60,248	-18%	$11,983
455 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC	90	$255,971	+26%	$32,614
470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of...	90	$106,849	+15%	$14,861
682 Renal Failure with MCC	88	$38,944	-41%	$10,793
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	86	$28,157	-27%	$6,503
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	86	$33,274	-32%	$7,152
638 Diabetes with CC	80	$34,084	-18%	$7,567
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	75	$36,451	-43%	$8,332
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	72	$58,876	-22%	$11,512
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	69	$63,958	-25%	$14,382
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	66	$110,787	-32%	$20,699
812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC	65	$26,863	-39%	$8,429
603 Cellulitis without MCC	64	$25,625	-31%	$7,108
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	63	$47,370	-18%	$9,041
884 Organic Disturbances and Intellectual Disability	59	$36,702	-41%	$11,400
069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic	57	$35,290	-30%	$6,268
331 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures without CC/MCC	56	$90,758	+6%	$12,476
314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC	55	$76,419	-19%	$14,999
057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC	53	$34,068	-40%	$9,559
025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC	52	$219,102	-5%	$35,236
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	52	$101,543	-15%	$16,900
948 Signs and Symptoms without MCC	52	$25,769	-32%	$6,729
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	51	$39,407	-22%	$8,460
191 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CC	51	$27,097	-32%	$6,452
039 Extracranial Procedures without CC/MCC	50	$50,632	-21%	$8,434
460 Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC	49	$174,036	+2%	$24,905
101 Seizures without MCC	48	$38,208	-22%	$7,707
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	48	$44,009	-28%	$10,451
467 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement with CC	48	$164,765	+4%	$22,467
281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC	47	$31,178	-38%	$6,917
066 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction without...	46	$28,877	-32%	$5,475
175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale	46	$52,885	-19%	$10,411
292 Heart Failure and Shock with CC	45	$29,281	-25%	$6,591
092 Other Disorders of Nervous System with CC	43	$37,800	-27%	$7,726
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	43	$24,476	-37%	$6,260

Showing the 60 most frequent of 195 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	943	$17,355	$2,244
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	806	$74,965	$10,683
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	685	$12,726	$2,690
Level 1 Nerve Procedures	631	$8,571	$1,601
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	469	$34,593	$5,849
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	432	$9,070	$1,342
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	319	$16,950	$2,639
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	243	$52,599	$8,972
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	223	$38,153	$4,648
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	218	$16,796	$2,615
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	202	$20,472	$2,875
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	194	$114,557	$19,729
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	186	$46,680	$8,999
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	176	$7,270	$1,542
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	149	$25,154	$2,364
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	145	$23,384	$4,324
Level 6 Musculoskeletal Procedures	140	$92,552	$15,308
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	135	$12,112	$1,694
Level 4 Vascular Procedures	134	$39,345	$4,118
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	124	$88,340	$8,421
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	96	$20,106	$2,820
Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures	93	$8,248	$1,334
Level 1 Intraocular Procedures	88	$9,105	$1,934
Level 4 Endovascular Procedures	85	$94,402	$14,011
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	82	$16,955	$3,132

Against the Alabama average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Huntsville Hospital charged $69,535 on average, 13% less than the Alabama average of $80,125, and was paid $14,390 against a state average of $14,647. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Huntsville Hospital charged $40,675 on average, 8% less than the Alabama average of $43,997, and was paid $9,512 against a state average of $10,010. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Huntsville Hospital charged $56,526 on average, 5% less than the Alabama average of $59,377, and was paid $11,829 against a state average of $12,400. For Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or Tpa in 24 Hours (DRG 065), Huntsville Hospital charged $46,660 on average, 4% less than the Alabama average of $48,577, and was paid $7,970 against a state average of $8,470. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $17,355 was 4% above the state average of $16,650. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $74,965 was 5% below the state average of $79,031. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $12,726 was 58% below the state average of $30,210. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $8,571 was 41% below the state average of $14,549.

Price-transparency record

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

Warning Notice — 2021-07-20 (CMS case 392)
CAP Request — 2022-01-12 (CMS case 392)
Closure Notice — 2022-06-17 (CMS case 392)
Warning Notice — 2025-03-31 (CMS case 3465)
Closure Notice — 2025-05-01 (CMS case 3465)

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.