MUSC Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments

MUSC Medical Center reported 8,132 Medicare inpatient stays across 223 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 3.48 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in South Carolina, number 34 of 45 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.13×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 497 stays at an average charge of $70,072, 22% below the national average. It also billed 13,211 outpatient services, charging 9.41 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 8,132
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 3.48×
3Rank in SC (highest ratio = 1) 34 of 45
4CMS price-transparency actions 0

Average charge per stay at MUSC Medical Center, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 223 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, MUSC Medical Center charged more than the national average in 55 (25%). 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	497	$70,072	-22%	$24,550
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	219	$37,313	-34%	$16,718
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	135	$112,214	-28%	$30,178
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	132	$59,995	+4%	$18,725
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	124	$188,289	-15%	$46,574
812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC	118	$30,905	-30%	$14,163
699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC	117	$33,569	-29%	$13,194
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	113	$74,895	-25%	$26,175
683 Renal Failure with CC	108	$27,366	-33%	$12,122
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	106	$40,022	-28%	$13,336
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	104	$44,679	-26%	$17,399
847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis...	101	$46,406	-31%	$17,123
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	98	$53,762	-27%	$20,992
025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC	94	$176,221	-24%	$48,776
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	94	$121,976	+2%	$29,996
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	92	$49,345	-30%	$20,210
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	92	$226,382	-1%	$68,299
682 Renal Failure with MCC	89	$51,074	-23%	$20,127
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	88	$39,001	-20%	$15,071
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	86	$27,312	-28%	$11,979
027 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures without...	85	$118,725	-15%	$24,629
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	85	$22,201	-39%	$10,163
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	85	$25,444	-31%	$11,050
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	83	$34,799	-32%	$15,752
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	80	$33,691	-31%	$12,805
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	79	$97,904	-13%	$30,026
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	75	$38,876	-35%	$17,277
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	72	$102,390	+2%	$23,985
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	69	$87,281	-24%	$21,347
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	62	$27,538	-31%	$11,206
329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC	60	$218,130	+1%	$57,086
101 Seizures without MCC	56	$38,835	-20%	$13,085
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	55	$57,462	-33%	$21,405
652 Kidney Transplant	54	$251,786	-25%	$43,036
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	53	$51,853	-32%	$18,335
235 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization with MCC	52	$287,114	-2%	$68,738
314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC	52	$82,580	-13%	$28,752
023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns...	51	$175,354	-38%	$64,443
219 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures...	51	$362,783	-9%	$87,744
331 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures without CC/MCC	50	$92,245	+7%	$18,825
472 Cervical Spinal Fusion with CC	49	$155,174	+9%	$30,553
811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC	49	$69,425	+2%	$23,612
164 Major Chest Procedures with CC	48	$114,076	-10%	$27,141
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	48	$24,114	-38%	$11,617
467 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement with CC	48	$143,099	-9%	$34,280
057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC	47	$52,265	-8%	$18,518
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	47	$259,100	-9%	$64,525
312 Syncope and Collapse	47	$27,896	-39%	$11,887
393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC	46	$81,089	+6%	$27,421
445 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with CC	46	$49,295	-15%	$14,203
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	44	$36,461	-36%	$15,316
178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC	42	$35,237	-22%	$13,860
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	42	$45,384	-26%	$18,009
269 Aortic and Heart Assist Procedures except Pulsation Balloon...	41	$248,756	+29%	$45,070
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	41	$115,571	-29%	$31,195
394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC	41	$38,357	-19%	$13,777
003 ECMO or Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal...	40	$768,547	-27%	$219,860
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	40	$28,793	-25%	$11,400
270 Other Major Cardiovascular Procedures with MCC	39	$247,445	-5%	$66,378
287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	39	$49,906	-22%	$14,537

Showing the 60 most frequent of 223 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Level 1 Intraocular Procedures	949	$22,079	$1,020
Level 2 Urology and Related Services	851	$2,707	$578
Comprehensive Observation Services	715	$15,148	$2,311
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	702	$9,352	$1,354
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	670	$16,260	$1,603
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	573	$10,939	$1,658
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	544	$21,275	$2,768
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	524	$18,709	$2,503
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	445	$24,899	$2,340
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	388	$79,957	$10,721
Level 3 Airway Endoscopy	338	$10,525	$1,430
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	335	$53,047	$4,713
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	332	$51,117	$4,836
Level 2 Endovascular Procedures	326	$26,827	$4,835
Level 4 Vascular Procedures	309	$35,898	$4,554
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	289	$61,715	$9,268
Level 5 ENT Procedures	275	$57,316	$4,983
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	268	$133,320	$20,301
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	267	$29,367	$2,943
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	262	$33,892	$3,182
Complex GI Procedures	245	$32,842	$4,388
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	234	$41,571	$4,411
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	214	$31,216	$2,024
Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures	212	$11,311	$783
Level 3 Extraocular, Repair, and Plastic Eye Procedures	201	$22,557	$1,175

Against the South Carolina average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), MUSC Medical Center charged $70,072 on average, 8% less than the South Carolina average of $76,532, and was paid $24,550 against a state average of $16,014. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), MUSC Medical Center charged $37,313 on average, 18% less than the South Carolina average of $45,682, and was paid $16,718 against a state average of $10,696. For Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC (DRG 274), MUSC Medical Center charged $112,214 on average, 40% less than the South Carolina average of $186,698, and was paid $30,178 against a state average of $25,978. For Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure (DRG 189), MUSC Medical Center charged $59,995 on average, 9% more than the South Carolina average of $54,819, and was paid $18,725 against a state average of $10,948. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $22,079 was 56% above the state average of $14,119. For Level 2 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5372), its average charge of $2,707 was 36% below the state average of $4,262. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $15,148 was 27% below the state average of $20,764. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $9,352 was 20% below the state average of $11,718.

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.