Arizona / St Joseph's Hospital
CMS certification 030011 · Tucson, AZ · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
St Joseph's Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
St Joseph's Hospital reported 1,201 Medicare inpatient stays across 53 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 14.04 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Arizona, number 1 of 53 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 5×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 152 stays at an average charge of $142,052, 57% above the national average. It also billed 1,243 outpatient services, charging 16.53 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 1,201
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 14.04×
- 3Rank in AZ (highest ratio = 1) 1 of 53
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 3
Inpatient stays
For the 53 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, St Joseph's Hospital charged more than the national average in 52 (98%). 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 | 152 | $142,052 | +57% | $14,780 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 48 | $161,540 | +62% | $14,859 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 44 | $324,843 | +222% | $16,101 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 40 | $111,328 | +100% | $7,783 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 40 | $91,031 | +61% | $9,693 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 39 | $134,145 | +77% | $12,146 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 34 | $308,825 | +231% | $14,912 |
| 460 Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC | 32 | $640,919 | +276% | $28,308 |
| 472 Cervical Spinal Fusion with CC | 32 | $515,516 | +260% | $24,160 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 31 | $102,154 | +71% | $9,922 |
| 023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns... | 30 | $583,958 | +108% | $45,923 |
| 089 Concussion with CC | 30 | $112,745 | +81% | $8,803 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 30 | $129,900 | +84% | $12,270 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 25 | $410,509 | +79% | $35,246 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 23 | $104,636 | +113% | $8,594 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 21 | $122,211 | +150% | $7,316 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 21 | $119,875 | +99% | $9,895 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 20 | $1,113,440 | +381% | $64,829 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 20 | $80,990 | +102% | $6,130 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 20 | $95,381 | +45% | $11,157 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 19 | $346,551 | +150% | $21,409 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 19 | $108,346 | +48% | $11,480 |
| 069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic | 18 | $78,697 | +56% | $7,002 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 18 | $72,674 | +96% | $6,017 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 18 | $84,220 | +64% | $9,011 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 17 | $79,109 | +119% | $5,805 |
| 563 Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation except Femur, Hip,... | 17 | $82,214 | +93% | $6,549 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 16 | $79,459 | +57% | $7,024 |
| 493 Lower Extremity and Humerus Procedures except Hip, Foot and... | 16 | $291,836 | +145% | $18,448 |
| 522 Hip Replacement with Principal Diagnosis of Hip Fracture... | 16 | $289,962 | +183% | $15,964 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 16 | $96,705 | +156% | $6,311 |
| 454 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion with CC | 15 | $782,050 | +180% | $54,247 |
| 026 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with CC | 14 | $276,888 | +68% | $22,211 |
| 027 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures without... | 14 | $391,252 | +180% | $21,230 |
| 086 Traumatic Stupor and Coma <1 Hour with CC | 14 | $150,156 | +120% | $10,126 |
| 100 Seizures with MCC | 14 | $123,824 | +31% | $13,542 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 14 | $123,720 | +172% | $7,319 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 14 | $117,271 | +188% | $6,659 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 13 | $72,176 | +25% | $9,442 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 13 | $95,033 | +68% | $9,317 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 13 | $190,967 | +67% | $16,306 |
| 551 Medical Back Problems with MCC | 13 | $142,073 | +80% | $11,959 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 13 | $71,693 | +92% | $6,687 |
| 643 Endocrine Disorders with MCC | 13 | $170,835 | +131% | $12,605 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 12 | $478,524 | +123% | $35,185 |
| 355 Hernia Procedures except Inguinal and Femoral without CC/MCC | 12 | $67,401 | -7% | $10,456 |
| 536 Fractures of Hip and Pelvis without MCC | 12 | $92,476 | +145% | $5,953 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 11 | $105,826 | +117% | $6,889 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 11 | $271,686 | +128% | $17,306 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 11 | $113,072 | +133% | $7,661 |
| 459 Spinal Fusion except Cervical with MCC | 11 | $781,606 | +170% | $49,461 |
| 519 Back and Neck Procedures except Spinal Fusion with CC | 11 | $253,676 | +143% | $14,807 |
| 917 Poisoning and Toxic Effects of Drugs with MCC | 11 | $121,688 | +63% | $12,414 |
Outpatient services
Against the Arizona average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), St Joseph's Hospital charged $142,052 on average, 62% more than the Arizona average of $87,638, and was paid $14,780 against a state average of $17,455. For Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC (DRG 064), St Joseph's Hospital charged $161,540 on average, 75% more than the Arizona average of $92,078, and was paid $14,859 against a state average of $17,780. For Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC (DRG 481), St Joseph's Hospital charged $324,843 on average, 177% more than the Arizona average of $117,411, and was paid $16,101 against a state average of $17,545. For Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or Tpa in 24 Hours (DRG 065), St Joseph's Hospital charged $111,328 on average, 81% more than the Arizona average of $61,624, and was paid $7,783 against a state average of $9,285. For Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services (outpatient APC 5361), its average charge of $77,749 was 58% above the state average of $49,210. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $43,202 was 27% above the state average of $34,042. For Level 5 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5375), its average charge of $63,635 was 64% above the state average of $38,787. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $50,265 was 108% above the state average of $24,129.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named St Joseph's Hospital in Tucson, AZ, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2023-07-10 (CMS case 1278)
- Warning Notice — 2025-03-06 (CMS case 3209)
- Closure Notice — 2025-05-27 (CMS case 3209)
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.