California / Kern Medical Center
CMS certification 050315 · Bakersfield, CA · 6 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Kern Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Kern Medical Center reported 233 Medicare inpatient stays across 10 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.5 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in California, number 237 of 247 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5.18×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 885, Psychoses: 61 stays at an average charge of $55,231, 25% above the national average. It also billed 371 outpatient services, charging 6.09 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 233
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.5×
- 3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 237 of 247
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 6
Inpatient stays
For the 10 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Kern Medical Center charged more than the national average in 1 (10%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.
| DRG | Stays | Avg charge | vs US | Avg paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 885 Psychoses | 61 | $55,231 | +25% | $22,053 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 48 | $74,264 | -18% | $26,786 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 23 | $35,934 | -19% | $14,607 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 19 | $24,610 | -35% | $13,098 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 16 | $35,521 | -27% | $14,346 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 15 | $35,398 | -4% | $12,512 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 14 | $21,285 | -49% | $12,967 |
| 917 Poisoning and Toxic Effects of Drugs with MCC | 13 | $64,201 | -14% | $23,998 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 12 | $26,739 | -28% | $13,982 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 12 | $30,821 | -24% | $14,184 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 50 | $15,003 | $3,300 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 41 | $21,302 | $3,843 |
| Level 4 Urology and Related Services | 35 | $21,983 | $4,203 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 29 | $8,625 | $2,294 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 26 | $37,706 | $6,238 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 22 | $36,028 | $8,623 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 19 | $13,101 | $1,903 |
| Level 4 Vascular Procedures | 19 | $34,420 | $6,625 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 19 | $38,045 | $6,956 |
| Level 5 ENT Procedures | 17 | $30,543 | $7,060 |
| Level 3 Urology and Related Services | 17 | $13,295 | $2,456 |
| Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 16 | $62,078 | $15,835 |
| Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 14 | $20,129 | $3,426 |
| Level 2 Vascular Procedures | 13 | $14,263 | $1,931 |
| Level 4 ENT Procedures | 12 | $16,922 | $3,882 |
| Level 4 Airway Endoscopy | 11 | $16,688 | $4,515 |
| Level 2 Endovascular Procedures | 11 | $42,592 | $6,891 |
Against the California average
For Psychoses (DRG 885), Kern Medical Center charged $55,231 on average, 7% more than the California average of $51,465, and was paid $22,053 against a state average of $15,642. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Kern Medical Center charged $74,264 on average, 48% less than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $26,786 against a state average of $23,020. For Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC (DRG 812), Kern Medical Center charged $35,934 on average, 51% less than the California average of $73,854, and was paid $14,607 against a state average of $11,900. For Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC (DRG 690), Kern Medical Center charged $24,610 on average, 61% less than the California average of $63,565, and was paid $13,098 against a state average of $9,722. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $15,003 was 64% below the state average of $41,628. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $21,302 was 29% below the state average of $30,190. For Level 4 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5374), its average charge of $21,983 was 40% below the state average of $36,378. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $8,625 was 55% below the state average of $19,034.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, CA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-01-24 (CMS case 575)
- CAP Request — 2023-05-10 (CMS case 575)
- Closure Notice — 2023-08-10 (CMS case 575)
- Warning Notice — 2024-11-05 (CMS case 2886)
- CAP Request — 2025-02-12 (CMS case 2886)
- Closure Notice — 2025-03-19 (CMS case 2886)
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.