Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital: charges and Medicare payments

Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital reported 5,582 Medicare inpatient stays across 163 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.22 times what it was paid — mid-range in California, number 122 of 247 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5.18×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 578 stays at an average charge of $120,225, 33% above the national average. It also billed 4,167 outpatient services, charging 5.56 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 5,582
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.22×
3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 122 of 247
4CMS price-transparency actions 0

Average charge per stay at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 163 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital charged more than the national average in 136 (83%). 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	578	$120,225	+33%	$22,273
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	231	$84,708	+50%	$14,163
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	185	$103,235	+46%	$18,015
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	133	$140,451	-10%	$33,278
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	124	$60,815	+24%	$11,320
885 Psychoses	110	$44,816	+2%	$14,657
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	103	$54,861	+13%	$10,565
470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of...	100	$110,477	+19%	$19,672
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	97	$137,051	+37%	$22,495
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	90	$325,531	+42%	$60,974
897 Alcohol, Drug Abuse or Dependence without Rehabilitation...	90	$38,565	+4%	$9,268
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	88	$72,323	+30%	$11,886
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	88	$220,433	0%	$54,874
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	87	$47,887	+19%	$8,557
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	80	$81,541	+36%	$14,197
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	71	$45,454	+20%	$9,155
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	63	$53,270	+9%	$10,513
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	53	$120,472	+20%	$22,480
683 Renal Failure with CC	52	$51,239	+26%	$9,813
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	50	$97,467	+69%	$13,549
178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC	49	$73,226	+62%	$12,158
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	49	$50,720	+40%	$8,507
847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis...	49	$85,454	+26%	$13,043
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	48	$94,673	+29%	$18,422
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	46	$134,312	+13%	$24,308
603 Cellulitis without MCC	45	$50,238	+35%	$9,463
322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	44	$125,359	+9%	$19,045
321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal...	43	$182,607	+12%	$34,645
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	42	$108,794	+27%	$19,561
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	42	$73,639	+22%	$13,917
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	42	$40,906	+10%	$8,387
194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC	41	$59,982	+56%	$8,885
023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns...	40	$381,151	+36%	$65,819
057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC	40	$65,535	+16%	$14,066
025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC	39	$263,231	+14%	$51,453
682 Renal Failure with MCC	38	$82,228	+25%	$16,761
101 Seizures without MCC	36	$63,707	+31%	$9,863
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	35	$69,739	+23%	$13,971
699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC	35	$47,765	+1%	$11,076
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	34	$107,072	+41%	$17,189
329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC	34	$281,555	+31%	$49,691
522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture...	34	$112,420	+10%	$22,027
605 Trauma To The Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast without...	34	$48,170	+4%	$9,770
948 Signs and Symptoms without MCC	34	$50,262	+32%	$8,625
394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC	33	$62,019	+32%	$10,067
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	33	$72,030	+40%	$12,166
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	32	$312,436	+10%	$62,294
190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC	30	$70,865	+40%	$11,553
331 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures without CC/MCC	30	$94,199	+10%	$17,474
390 Gastrointestinal Obstruction without CC/MCC	30	$31,189	+12%	$6,070
981 Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated To Principal Diagnosis...	30	$280,607	+30%	$56,736
520 Back and Neck Procedures except Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC	29	$66,220	-16%	$16,284
100 Seizures with MCC	28	$127,014	+35%	$22,296
286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac...	28	$106,237	-5%	$22,776
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	28	$73,231	+20%	$13,664
435 Malignancy of Hepatobiliary System or Pancreas with MCC	28	$134,913	+43%	$18,819
175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale	27	$89,192	+37%	$14,882
184 Major Chest Trauma with CC	27	$65,324	+18%	$13,247
243 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with CC	25	$118,224	+6%	$23,620
389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC	25	$48,346	+24%	$8,603

Showing the 60 most frequent of 163 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Comprehensive Observation Services	366	$21,664	$3,577
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	315	$122,253	$31,129
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	264	$31,300	$4,286
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	242	$82,713	$17,098
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	203	$44,550	$7,538
Level 2 Intraocular Procedures	203	$32,757	$5,312
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	186	$18,300	$4,197
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	183	$16,657	$2,079
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	176	$47,877	$9,414
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	174	$15,862	$2,494
Level 4 Vascular Procedures	166	$25,189	$7,236
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	141	$31,274	$3,741
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	129	$41,555	$6,813
Level 2 Vascular Procedures	122	$5,444	$2,095
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	116	$32,370	$4,590
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	115	$71,354	$13,532
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar Procedures	107	$60,783	$14,036
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	79	$84,213	$14,459
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	75	$15,068	$2,682
Level 5 Airway Endoscopy	74	$34,197	$9,008
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	70	$27,689	$4,896
Level 5 ENT Procedures	60	$37,999	$7,711
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures	60	$36,541	$4,556
Level 4 Endovascular Procedures	58	$99,237	$22,659
Level 3 Airway Endoscopy	52	$14,708	$2,235

Against the California average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital charged $120,225 on average, 16% less than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $22,273 against a state average of $23,020. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital charged $84,708 on average, 16% less than the California average of $100,739, and was paid $14,163 against a state average of $15,556. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital charged $103,235 on average, 17% less than the California average of $124,302, and was paid $18,015 against a state average of $18,986. For Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC (DRG 274), Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital charged $140,451 on average, 30% less than the California average of $200,964, and was paid $33,278 against a state average of $35,770. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $21,664 was 48% below the state average of $41,628. For Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures (outpatient APC 5213), its average charge of $122,253 was 40% below the state average of $205,167. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $31,300 was 23% below the state average of $40,544. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $82,713 was 24% below the state average of $109,149.

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.