Mississippi / Merit Health River Region
CMS certification 250031 · Vicksburg, MS
Merit Health River Region: charges and Medicare payments
Merit Health River Region reported 729 Medicare inpatient stays across 29 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 11.97 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Mississippi, number 2 of 37 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.49×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 138 stays at an average charge of $174,630, 93% above the national average. It also billed 641 outpatient services, charging 18.22 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 729
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 11.97×
- 3Rank in MS (highest ratio = 1) 2 of 37
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 29 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Merit Health River Region charged more than the national average in 29 (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 | 138 | $174,630 | +93% | $13,993 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 48 | $108,766 | +93% | $9,920 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 37 | $73,938 | +95% | $6,160 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 35 | $130,491 | +118% | $10,004 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 30 | $240,766 | +110% | $13,045 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 30 | $75,863 | +86% | $6,710 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 29 | $72,918 | +102% | $6,980 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 29 | $123,832 | +88% | $10,527 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 29 | $81,005 | +58% | $8,533 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 28 | $124,700 | +77% | $11,818 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 28 | $98,745 | +103% | $7,335 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 28 | $326,906 | +43% | $33,991 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 23 | $69,089 | +72% | $6,305 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 22 | $101,685 | +165% | $6,223 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 17 | $122,295 | +112% | $8,891 |
| 208 Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support <=96... | 16 | $261,105 | +92% | $19,198 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 16 | $107,178 | +112% | $7,310 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 14 | $131,790 | +160% | $8,086 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 14 | $58,566 | +58% | $6,006 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 14 | $416,253 | +29% | $47,285 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 13 | $95,229 | +94% | $7,598 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 12 | $62,311 | +117% | $4,541 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 12 | $136,406 | +35% | $14,320 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 12 | $99,287 | +166% | $6,668 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 11 | $138,550 | +23% | $14,956 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 11 | $116,293 | +105% | $8,716 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 11 | $308,067 | +88% | $19,554 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 11 | $437,248 | +103% | $33,712 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 11 | $69,933 | +16% | $9,301 |
Outpatient services
Against the Mississippi average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Merit Health River Region charged $174,630 on average, 171% more than the Mississippi average of $64,437, and was paid $13,993 against a state average of $14,187. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Merit Health River Region charged $108,766 on average, 149% more than the Mississippi average of $43,650, and was paid $9,920 against a state average of $9,475. For Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC (DRG 690), Merit Health River Region charged $73,938 on average, 177% more than the Mississippi average of $26,656, and was paid $6,160 against a state average of $6,432. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Merit Health River Region charged $130,491 on average, 173% more than the Mississippi average of $47,785, and was paid $10,004 against a state average of $9,796. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $44,044 was 97% above the state average of $22,403. For Level 4 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5374), its average charge of $62,030 was 160% above the state average of $23,835. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $34,248 was 113% above the state average of $16,069. For Level 2 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5182), its average charge of $10,760 was 30% above the state average of $8,293.
Price-transparency record
No action in CMS's price-transparency enforcement list (July 2026) matches this hospital's exact name, city and state. That can mean CMS has not reviewed it, or that it is listed under a different name.
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.