Massachusetts / Lowell General Hospital
CMS certification 220063 · Lowell, MA · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Lowell General Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
Lowell General Hospital reported 4,402 Medicare inpatient stays across 116 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.18 times what it was paid — mid-range in Massachusetts, number 19 of 52 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 2×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 291, Heart Failure and Shock with MCC: 460 stays at an average charge of $21,786, 61% below the national average. It also billed 3,342 outpatient services, charging 3.23 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 4,402
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.18×
- 3Rank in MA (highest ratio = 1) 19 of 52
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 4
Inpatient stays
For the 116 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Lowell General Hospital charged more than the national average in 0 (0%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.
| DRG | Stays | Avg charge | vs US | Avg paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 460 | $21,786 | -61% | $11,423 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 414 | $33,200 | -63% | $16,936 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 159 | $25,077 | -58% | $11,312 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 155 | $30,933 | -56% | $14,034 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 112 | $22,493 | -56% | $9,591 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 108 | $16,853 | -55% | $7,038 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 95 | $17,962 | -55% | $6,965 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 94 | $20,361 | -60% | $9,937 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 81 | $17,904 | -61% | $7,694 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 75 | $15,351 | -60% | $7,510 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 72 | $30,169 | -60% | $13,258 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 67 | $15,903 | -57% | $6,990 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 64 | $16,305 | -60% | $7,729 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 63 | $23,594 | -51% | $9,100 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 61 | $22,038 | -55% | $8,896 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 59 | $22,797 | -59% | $9,055 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 58 | $15,074 | -58% | $6,816 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 58 | $26,202 | -57% | $12,725 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 56 | $34,088 | -54% | $14,871 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 54 | $15,837 | -58% | $7,705 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 52 | $20,839 | -63% | $10,906 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 48 | $37,782 | -63% | $17,049 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 46 | $51,104 | -55% | $17,003 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 45 | $20,457 | -55% | $9,145 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 44 | $19,275 | -61% | $8,753 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 44 | $14,583 | -65% | $8,064 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 43 | $33,292 | -67% | $17,246 |
| 191 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CC | 42 | $16,237 | -59% | $7,515 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 42 | $27,890 | -58% | $12,847 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 40 | $42,621 | -62% | $19,002 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 40 | $90,312 | -61% | $46,071 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 39 | $68,321 | -58% | $25,214 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 38 | $18,159 | -53% | $7,241 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 35 | $21,013 | -58% | $7,580 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 35 | $20,185 | -55% | $8,059 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 34 | $34,363 | -60% | $14,818 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 33 | $19,356 | -59% | $8,153 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 31 | $30,062 | -51% | $11,256 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 30 | $18,978 | -61% | $8,353 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 30 | $26,077 | -55% | $11,583 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 30 | $55,657 | -59% | $23,077 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 30 | $25,034 | -62% | $12,477 |
| 897 Alcohol, Drug Abuse or Dependence without Rehabilitation... | 29 | $17,946 | -52% | $7,593 |
| 092 Other Disorders of Nervous System with CC | 28 | $18,648 | -64% | $8,771 |
| 100 Seizures with MCC | 28 | $27,719 | -71% | $15,775 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 28 | $50,660 | -63% | $24,454 |
| 300 Peripheral Vascular Disorders with CC | 27 | $17,846 | -64% | $9,578 |
| 202 Bronchitis and Asthma with CC/MCC | 25 | $18,422 | -60% | $8,397 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 25 | $47,951 | -60% | $22,699 |
| 066 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction without... | 22 | $18,864 | -55% | $6,815 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 22 | $28,612 | -55% | $10,475 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 22 | $38,756 | -62% | $18,834 |
| 563 Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation except Femur, Hip,... | 22 | $18,591 | -56% | $7,815 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 21 | $122,739 | -62% | $57,641 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 20 | $12,091 | -58% | $4,990 |
| 314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC | 20 | $35,985 | -62% | $18,338 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 20 | $32,973 | -65% | $17,566 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 19 | $68,859 | -70% | $32,410 |
| 192 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease without CC/MCC | 19 | $12,264 | -61% | $6,193 |
| 305 Hypertension without MCC | 19 | $15,371 | -62% | $6,680 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 116 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Massachusetts average
For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Lowell General Hospital charged $21,786 on average, 28% less than the Massachusetts average of $30,373, and was paid $11,423 against a state average of $12,996. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Lowell General Hospital charged $33,200 on average, 27% less than the Massachusetts average of $45,229, and was paid $16,936 against a state average of $19,536. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Lowell General Hospital charged $25,077 on average, 11% less than the Massachusetts average of $28,077, and was paid $11,312 against a state average of $12,627. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Lowell General Hospital charged $30,933 on average, 17% less than the Massachusetts average of $37,072, and was paid $14,034 against a state average of $15,861. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $8,872 was 37% below the state average of $14,010. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $7,972 was 21% above the state average of $6,596. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $27,201 was 23% below the state average of $35,549. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $4,471 was 46% below the state average of $8,334.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Lowell General Hospital in Lowell, MA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-05-17 (CMS case 1632)
- Closure Notice — 2023-08-21 (CMS case 1632)
- Warning Notice — 2025-02-25 (CMS case 3146)
- Closure Notice — 2025-05-30 (CMS case 3146)
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.