Hawaii / Kuakini Medical Center
CMS certification 120007 · Honolulu, HI · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Kuakini Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Kuakini Medical Center reported 510 Medicare inpatient stays across 14 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.96 times what it was paid — mid-range in Hawaii, number 5 of 11 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 2.84×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 196 stays at an average charge of $64,159, 29% below the national average. It also billed 614 outpatient services, charging 4.25 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 510
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.96×
- 3Rank in HI (highest ratio = 1) 5 of 11
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 4
Inpatient stays
For the 14 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Kuakini Medical Center charged more than the national average in 1 (7%). 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 | 196 | $64,159 | -29% | $21,010 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 52 | $56,092 | -21% | $17,296 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 51 | $35,647 | -62% | $19,776 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 38 | $52,738 | -30% | $17,698 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 31 | $160,883 | -30% | $59,972 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 23 | $52,381 | -12% | $12,890 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 21 | $63,034 | +12% | $14,770 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 17 | $43,258 | -12% | $10,700 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 16 | $59,616 | -40% | $20,086 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 16 | $46,368 | -54% | $20,646 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 13 | $39,263 | -19% | $11,108 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 12 | $56,039 | -34% | $16,745 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 12 | $49,992 | -17% | $12,391 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 12 | $46,776 | -36% | $16,387 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 145 | $27,896 | $3,148 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 83 | $13,924 | $8,227 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 57 | $4,615 | $1,799 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 56 | $6,925 | $3,617 |
| Level 1 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures | 40 | $12,863 | $4,384 |
| Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related Procedures | 34 | $24,521 | $7,324 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 28 | $8,845 | $2,189 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 27 | $8,005 | $3,666 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 25 | $6,993 | $1,790 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 22 | $18,967 | $6,636 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 21 | $11,004 | $3,754 |
| Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 18 | $9,497 | $3,268 |
| Level 2 Endovascular Procedures | 12 | $11,994 | $6,574 |
| Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures | 12 | $19,966 | $12,264 |
| Level 5 Urology and Related Services | 12 | $14,019 | $5,951 |
| Level 3 Endovascular Procedures | 11 | $30,829 | $12,634 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 11 | $6,087 | $2,221 |
Against the Hawaii average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Kuakini Medical Center charged $64,159 on average, 7% less than the Hawaii average of $69,229, and was paid $21,010 against a state average of $23,514. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Kuakini Medical Center charged $56,092 on average, 9% less than the Hawaii average of $61,878, and was paid $17,296 against a state average of $19,768. For Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC (DRG 470), Kuakini Medical Center charged $35,647 on average, 47% less than the Hawaii average of $67,006, and was paid $19,776 against a state average of $21,280. For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC (DRG 280), Kuakini Medical Center charged $52,738 on average, 20% less than the Hawaii average of $65,543, and was paid $17,698 against a state average of $18,690. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $27,896 was 52% above the state average of $18,402. For Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5114), its average charge of $13,924 was 56% below the state average of $31,953. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $4,615 was 42% below the state average of $8,002. For Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5113), its average charge of $6,925 was 55% below the state average of $15,227.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Kuakini Medical Center in Honolulu, HI, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-03-28 (CMS case 1169)
- CAP Request — 2023-07-13 (CMS case 1169)
- Closure Notice — 2023-09-19 (CMS case 1169)
- Met Requirements — 2025-04-16 (CMS case 3838)
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.