California / Natividad Medical Center
CMS certification 050248 · Salinas, CA · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Natividad Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Natividad Medical Center reported 605 Medicare inpatient stays across 28 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.37 times what it was paid — mid-range in California, number 116 of 247 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5.18×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 885, Psychoses: 99 stays at an average charge of $79,796, 81% above the national average. It also billed 313 outpatient services, charging 8.56 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 605
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.37×
- 3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 116 of 247
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 3
Inpatient stays
For the 28 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Natividad Medical Center charged more than the national average in 28 (100%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.
| DRG | Stays | Avg charge | vs US | Avg paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 885 Psychoses | 99 | $79,796 | +81% | $18,721 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 73 | $142,121 | +57% | $26,430 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 35 | $139,883 | +39% | $25,054 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 34 | $68,981 | +41% | $14,062 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 27 | $85,503 | +52% | $16,704 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 22 | $66,248 | +79% | $10,947 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 21 | $90,760 | +52% | $18,942 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 18 | $196,104 | +178% | $29,730 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 18 | $70,155 | +54% | $12,034 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 18 | $135,277 | +32% | $26,369 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 18 | $76,272 | +56% | $13,262 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 18 | $68,308 | +81% | $11,353 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 16 | $67,680 | +39% | $13,227 |
| 086 Traumatic Stupor and Coma <1 Hour with CC | 15 | $141,187 | +107% | $19,450 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 14 | $98,249 | +76% | $17,157 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 14 | $90,937 | +51% | $16,403 |
| 854 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 14 | $193,245 | +97% | $25,915 |
| 482 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint without CC/MCC | 13 | $90,246 | +16% | $19,759 |
| 897 Alcohol, Drug Abuse or Dependence without Rehabilitation... | 13 | $101,262 | +173% | $12,302 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 12 | $68,636 | +36% | $15,021 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 12 | $60,057 | +56% | $11,496 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 12 | $100,406 | +18% | $23,258 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 12 | $72,524 | +86% | $11,318 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 12 | $85,920 | +114% | $10,792 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 12 | $322,096 | +41% | $64,646 |
| 084 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour without CC/MCC | 11 | $69,194 | +30% | $12,654 |
| 493 Lower Extremity and Humerus Procedures except Hip, Foot and... | 11 | $170,242 | +43% | $30,547 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 11 | $61,886 | +66% | $11,861 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 114 | $35,805 | $3,565 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 26 | $8,314 | $2,097 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 23 | $34,237 | $3,954 |
| Level 1 Endovascular Procedures | 22 | $21,024 | $4,066 |
| Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures | 19 | $64,415 | $13,517 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 18 | $18,417 | $2,043 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 15 | $55,132 | $9,509 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 15 | $32,924 | $6,567 |
| Level 2 Endovascular Procedures | 14 | $38,447 | $7,602 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 13 | $28,247 | $4,305 |
| Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures | 12 | $25,533 | $4,602 |
| Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 11 | $21,578 | $3,779 |
| Level 3 Intraocular Procedures | 11 | $44,169 | $6,951 |
Against the California average
For Psychoses (DRG 885), Natividad Medical Center charged $79,796 on average, 55% more than the California average of $51,465, and was paid $18,721 against a state average of $15,642. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Natividad Medical Center charged $142,121 on average, 1% less than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $26,430 against a state average of $23,020. For Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC (DRG 481), Natividad Medical Center charged $139,883 on average, 9% less than the California average of $154,156, and was paid $25,054 against a state average of $23,534. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Natividad Medical Center charged $68,981 on average, 9% less than the California average of $76,120, and was paid $14,062 against a state average of $12,552. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $35,805 was 14% below the state average of $41,628. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $8,314 was 44% below the state average of $14,749. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $34,237 was 13% above the state average of $30,190. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $21,024 was 48% below the state average of $40,544.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, CA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-04-24 (CMS case 31)
- Closure Notice — 2023-08-23 (CMS case 31)
- Met Requirements — 2024-03-18 (CMS case 2315)
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.