Illinois / Northwestern Memorial Hospital
CMS certification 140281 · Chicago, IL · 5 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Northwestern Memorial Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
Northwestern Memorial Hospital reported 9,081 Medicare inpatient stays across 226 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 4.85 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Illinois, number 26 of 106 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.06×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 466 stays at an average charge of $123,617, 37% above the national average. It also billed 13,205 outpatient services, charging 10.5 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 9,081
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 4.85×
- 3Rank in IL (highest ratio = 1) 26 of 106
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 5
Inpatient stays
For the 226 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Northwestern Memorial Hospital charged more than the national average in 162 (72%). 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 | 466 | $123,617 | +37% | $26,301 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 310 | $69,736 | +24% | $16,321 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 250 | $80,745 | +14% | $18,924 |
| 219 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures... | 201 | $431,072 | +8% | $87,941 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 172 | $69,601 | -5% | $18,357 |
| 266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 155 | $322,607 | +13% | $59,686 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 145 | $113,969 | +22% | $19,429 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 139 | $132,480 | +18% | $27,402 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 114 | $67,984 | +13% | $15,641 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 112 | $41,538 | +3% | $9,968 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 111 | $45,324 | -5% | $12,036 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 106 | $113,744 | +14% | $23,581 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 103 | $285,048 | +23% | $59,083 |
| 314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC | 98 | $105,353 | +11% | $25,335 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 92 | $55,410 | +14% | $12,142 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 90 | $75,721 | +19% | $15,211 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 90 | $47,094 | -4% | $12,511 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 89 | $36,492 | +1% | $8,621 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 88 | $289,452 | +26% | $59,840 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 86 | $41,782 | -8% | $11,350 |
| 393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC | 86 | $81,901 | +7% | $19,943 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 82 | $67,465 | +19% | $16,660 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 80 | $138,695 | +17% | $27,737 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 80 | $35,427 | -6% | $9,393 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 77 | $63,443 | +14% | $12,847 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 72 | $80,113 | +21% | $20,406 |
| 267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 69 | $312,873 | +41% | $47,307 |
| 057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC | 68 | $42,860 | -24% | $15,113 |
| 847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis... | 68 | $60,304 | -11% | $16,378 |
| 292 Heart Failure and Shock with CC | 67 | $59,068 | +52% | $14,094 |
| 056 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders with MCC | 66 | $90,596 | -6% | $27,261 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 66 | $76,932 | +34% | $15,243 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 66 | $89,855 | +5% | $21,554 |
| 652 Kidney Transplant | 66 | $299,200 | -11% | $32,084 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 65 | $66,472 | +9% | $16,132 |
| 164 Major Chest Procedures with CC | 64 | $162,569 | +28% | $26,708 |
| 165 Major Chest Procedures without CC/MCC | 64 | $133,840 | +30% | $20,225 |
| 003 ECMO or Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal... | 63 | $1,798,599 | +71% | $343,202 |
| 235 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization with MCC | 63 | $348,952 | +19% | $59,927 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 62 | $52,577 | +2% | $13,631 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 60 | $49,579 | +5% | $11,072 |
| 467 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement with CC | 60 | $180,770 | +15% | $30,487 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 60 | $38,094 | +3% | $9,171 |
| 091 Other Disorders of Nervous System with MCC | 59 | $93,421 | +13% | $23,997 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 59 | $184,848 | +18% | $31,077 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 59 | $274,066 | +27% | $56,326 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 56 | $44,500 | +9% | $11,095 |
| 205 Other Respiratory System Diagnoses with MCC | 52 | $111,082 | +26% | $20,782 |
| 074 Cranial and Peripheral Nerve Disorders without MCC | 51 | $52,652 | -2% | $14,026 |
| 016 Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant with CC/MCC | 50 | $193,305 | -29% | $68,657 |
| 252 Other Vascular Procedures with MCC | 49 | $213,378 | +25% | $36,960 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 49 | $46,937 | +3% | $10,264 |
| 454 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion with CC | 49 | $353,725 | +26% | $73,094 |
| 270 Other Major Cardiovascular Procedures with MCC | 47 | $290,259 | +12% | $60,557 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 47 | $32,628 | -12% | $10,594 |
| 660 Kidney and Ureter Procedures for Non-Neoplasm with CC | 47 | $121,222 | +80% | $19,749 |
| 840 Lymphoma and Non-Acute Leukemia with MCC | 47 | $210,488 | +35% | $57,872 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 46 | $100,509 | +33% | $21,504 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 45 | $49,604 | +12% | $11,138 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 44 | $61,537 | +26% | $11,656 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 226 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Illinois average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Northwestern Memorial Hospital charged $123,617 on average, 67% more than the Illinois average of $73,987, and was paid $26,301 against a state average of $17,651. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Northwestern Memorial Hospital charged $69,736 on average, 51% more than the Illinois average of $46,293, and was paid $16,321 against a state average of $11,813. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Northwestern Memorial Hospital charged $80,745 on average, 35% more than the Illinois average of $59,769, and was paid $18,924 against a state average of $14,404. For Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures without Cardiac Catheterization (DRG 219), Northwestern Memorial Hospital charged $431,072 on average, 17% more than the Illinois average of $368,231, and was paid $87,941 against a state average of $87,122. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $26,228 was 22% above the state average of $21,498. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $21,161 was 42% above the state average of $14,917. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $14,457 was 22% above the state average of $11,818. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $16,536 was 21% above the state average of $13,666.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2023-02-23 (CMS case 1274)
- CAP Request — 2023-06-27 (CMS case 1274)
- Closure Notice — 2023-08-01 (CMS case 1274)
- Met Requirements — 2025-01-22 (CMS case 3007)
- Met Requirements — 2025-03-19 (CMS case 3281)
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.