Pennsylvania / St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem
CMS certification 390049 · Bethlehem, PA
St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem: charges and Medicare payments
St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem reported 6,633 Medicare inpatient stays across 178 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 7.86 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Pennsylvania, number 10 of 117 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.27×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 457 stays at an average charge of $137,361, 52% above the national average. It also billed 6,162 outpatient services, charging 11.25 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 6,633
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 7.86×
- 3Rank in PA (highest ratio = 1) 10 of 117
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 0
Inpatient stays
For the 178 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem charged more than the national average in 175 (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 | 457 | $137,361 | +52% | $18,878 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 360 | $102,984 | +83% | $12,914 |
| 267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 158 | $463,112 | +109% | $46,229 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 121 | $395,964 | +73% | $48,289 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 112 | $79,507 | +62% | $11,041 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 95 | $70,369 | +44% | $9,817 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 95 | $112,591 | +71% | $14,987 |
| 885 Psychoses | 92 | $200,947 | +356% | $15,834 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 89 | $211,199 | +111% | $19,878 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 89 | $85,190 | +48% | $12,589 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 85 | $116,657 | +65% | $15,365 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 84 | $68,433 | +70% | $8,429 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 84 | $76,247 | +87% | $9,186 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 83 | $57,306 | +59% | $8,210 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 81 | $128,396 | +38% | $18,710 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 80 | $265,602 | +69% | $30,299 |
| 243 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with CC | 79 | $138,835 | +25% | $20,943 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 72 | $95,831 | +72% | $10,154 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 72 | $84,402 | +64% | $11,425 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 70 | $81,905 | +69% | $9,828 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 69 | $61,656 | +63% | $8,329 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 68 | $130,410 | +14% | $19,054 |
| 057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC | 67 | $87,129 | +54% | $13,329 |
| 266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 66 | $553,920 | +94% | $60,255 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 66 | $195,544 | +64% | $24,541 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 64 | $115,544 | +57% | $15,337 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 62 | $161,499 | +60% | $19,124 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 62 | $53,993 | +45% | $9,150 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 62 | $60,296 | +63% | $8,089 |
| 092 Other Disorders of Nervous System with CC | 60 | $66,439 | +29% | $10,587 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 60 | $84,315 | +40% | $12,715 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 58 | $172,040 | +101% | $18,444 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 55 | $63,902 | +40% | $9,503 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 53 | $91,242 | +53% | $13,857 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 49 | $203,781 | +82% | $25,899 |
| 660 Kidney and Ureter Procedures for Non-Neoplasm with CC | 48 | $95,747 | +42% | $14,215 |
| 163 Major Chest Procedures with MCC | 46 | $294,390 | +40% | $42,886 |
| 164 Major Chest Procedures with CC | 45 | $201,252 | +58% | $24,681 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 45 | $90,743 | +42% | $11,030 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 45 | $73,124 | +20% | $13,432 |
| 300 Peripheral Vascular Disorders with CC | 44 | $61,697 | +25% | $10,518 |
| 897 Alcohol, Drug Abuse or Dependence without Rehabilitation... | 44 | $42,004 | +13% | $8,786 |
| 253 Other Vascular Procedures with CC | 43 | $226,890 | +72% | $25,381 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 43 | $110,585 | +95% | $12,901 |
| 184 Major Chest Trauma with CC | 42 | $85,529 | +54% | $11,776 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 39 | $336,268 | +45% | $47,249 |
| 023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns... | 38 | $474,266 | +69% | $55,054 |
| 467 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement with CC | 38 | $267,554 | +70% | $32,301 |
| 854 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 37 | $151,451 | +54% | $22,486 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 36 | $44,224 | +54% | $7,381 |
| 543 Pathological Fractures and Musculoskeletal and Connective... | 36 | $76,740 | +56% | $10,346 |
| 811 Red Blood Cell Disorders with MCC | 35 | $109,321 | +60% | $13,867 |
| 242 Permanent Cardiac Pacemaker Implant with MCC | 34 | $175,849 | +9% | $31,888 |
| 252 Other Vascular Procedures with MCC | 34 | $261,236 | +53% | $33,795 |
| 605 Trauma To The Skin, Subcutaneous Tissue and Breast without... | 34 | $57,767 | +25% | $8,811 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 34 | $84,114 | +77% | $10,027 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 33 | $106,548 | +119% | $9,582 |
| 563 Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation except Femur, Hip,... | 33 | $69,614 | +63% | $8,515 |
| 175 Pulmonary Embolism with MCC or Acute Cor Pulmonale | 32 | $110,784 | +70% | $13,725 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 32 | $72,666 | +60% | $9,615 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 178 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Pennsylvania average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem charged $137,361 on average, 56% more than the Pennsylvania average of $88,167, and was paid $18,878 against a state average of $16,881. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem charged $102,984 on average, 80% more than the Pennsylvania average of $57,362, and was paid $12,914 against a state average of $11,112. For Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement Procedures without MCC (DRG 267), St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem charged $463,112 on average, 69% more than the Pennsylvania average of $274,715, and was paid $46,229 against a state average of $43,015. For Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with MCC (DRG 853), St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem charged $395,964 on average, 70% more than the Pennsylvania average of $232,291, and was paid $48,289 against a state average of $44,314. For Level 2 Upper GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5302), its average charge of $18,570 was 21% above the state average of $15,366. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $15,697 was 15% above the state average of $13,651. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $14,378 was 14% above the state average of $12,623. For Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5115), its average charge of $90,665 was 42% above the state average of $63,627.
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.