Iowa / Spencer Municipal Hospital
CMS certification 160112 · Spencer, IA
Spencer Municipal Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
Spencer Municipal Hospital reported 378 Medicare inpatient stays across 16 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 1.96 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Iowa, number 25 of 27 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.32×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 64 stays at an average charge of $30,618, 66% below the national average. It also billed 1,856 outpatient services, charging 4.53 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 378
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 1.96×
- 3Rank in IA (highest ratio = 1) 25 of 27
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 16 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Spencer Municipal Hospital charged more than the national average in 0 (0%). 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 | 64 | $30,618 | -66% | $16,068 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 53 | $41,934 | -55% | $15,347 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 52 | $18,121 | -68% | $10,492 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 33 | $17,530 | -71% | $10,757 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 23 | $23,457 | -67% | $14,001 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 23 | $38,769 | -62% | $16,838 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 17 | $14,697 | -70% | $8,451 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 15 | $12,300 | -67% | $6,550 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 14 | $26,555 | -54% | $10,141 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 14 | $40,926 | -60% | $17,203 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 13 | $32,675 | -73% | $19,362 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 12 | $22,120 | -61% | $9,810 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 12 | $12,690 | -68% | $6,463 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 11 | $20,145 | -69% | $12,110 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 11 | $13,480 | -67% | $7,369 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 11 | $39,471 | -83% | $39,808 |
Outpatient services
Against the Iowa average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Spencer Municipal Hospital charged $30,618 on average, 39% less than the Iowa average of $49,919, and was paid $16,068 against a state average of $14,771. For Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC (DRG 470), Spencer Municipal Hospital charged $41,934 on average, 28% less than the Iowa average of $57,857, and was paid $15,347 against a state average of $13,856. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Spencer Municipal Hospital charged $18,121 on average, 48% less than the Iowa average of $34,817, and was paid $10,492 against a state average of $9,846. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Spencer Municipal Hospital charged $17,530 on average, 48% less than the Iowa average of $33,652, and was paid $10,757 against a state average of $10,047. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $6,890 was 27% below the state average of $9,485. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $37,855 was 23% below the state average of $49,177. For Level 4 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5374), its average charge of $13,726 was 22% below the state average of $17,564. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $11,018 was 37% below the state average of $17,461.
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.