Stanford Health Care: charges and Medicare payments

Stanford Health Care reported 11,829 Medicare inpatient stays across 279 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 8.24 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in California, number 35 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: 594 stays at an average charge of $413,501, 358% above the national average. It also billed 20,935 outpatient services, charging 14.01 times what Medicare paid.

1Medicare inpatient stays 11,829
2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 8.24×
3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 35 of 247
4CMS price-transparency actions 0

Average charge per stay at Stanford Health Care, its 10 most frequent DRGs, bars to scale. Source: CMS DY2024.

Inpatient stays

For the 279 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Stanford Health Care charged more than the national average in 279 (100%). 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	594	$413,501	+358%	$44,434
291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC	309	$300,529	+433%	$32,903
177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC	221	$263,722	+274%	$32,410
470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of...	191	$250,769	+169%	$30,883
267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	181	$338,922	+53%	$72,669
847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis...	180	$143,177	+112%	$20,756
392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	141	$153,669	+283%	$17,745
690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC	136	$136,274	+260%	$15,358
219 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures...	131	$1,337,746	+236%	$165,642
872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC	130	$179,424	+266%	$19,622
309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC	128	$137,398	+280%	$13,623
330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC	124	$361,905	+204%	$41,867
640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	118	$274,698	+356%	$30,172
391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive...	116	$246,452	+304%	$26,058
193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC	112	$257,291	+331%	$27,695
205 Other Respiratory System Diagnoses with MCC	110	$416,569	+371%	$59,635
698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC	109	$345,660	+371%	$38,873
164 Major Chest Procedures with CC	106	$374,610	+194%	$41,761
454 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion with CC	106	$555,771	+99%	$95,308
314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC	101	$401,880	+324%	$50,510
189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure	100	$369,459	+542%	$33,952
378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC	100	$168,565	+247%	$19,053
481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC	100	$299,668	+197%	$35,156
220 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures...	99	$897,454	+225%	$103,649
064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC	98	$411,099	+312%	$45,082
025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC	97	$610,786	+164%	$76,216
377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC	92	$378,372	+343%	$39,507
853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with...	91	$1,034,403	+352%	$127,814
027 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures without...	89	$307,120	+120%	$40,039
280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC	87	$284,916	+276%	$32,612
483 Major Joint or Limb Reattachment Procedures of Upper...	86	$257,528	+104%	$38,587
641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and...	81	$156,028	+321%	$16,728
274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC	77	$345,282	+120%	$49,830
603 Cellulitis without MCC	76	$130,192	+249%	$18,140
178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC	74	$155,067	+242%	$19,760
919 Complications of Treatment with MCC	74	$456,920	+416%	$56,859
406 Pancreas, Liver and Shunt Procedures with CC	73	$406,480	+151%	$54,405
683 Renal Failure with CC	72	$184,181	+352%	$21,544
026 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with CC	70	$350,602	+112%	$51,571
467 Revision of Hip or Knee Replacement with CC	70	$367,743	+133%	$53,915
074 Cranial and Peripheral Nerve Disorders without MCC	69	$135,902	+154%	$23,312
056 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders with MCC	67	$343,620	+258%	$44,220
552 Medical Back Problems without MCC	67	$148,493	+204%	$16,017
682 Renal Failure with MCC	67	$348,045	+428%	$40,881
166 Other Respiratory System O.R. Procedures with MCC	66	$988,298	+449%	$120,228
266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement...	66	$765,836	+169%	$109,863
394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC	66	$179,779	+282%	$20,038
057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC	65	$195,769	+246%	$23,948
310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC	65	$117,256	+308%	$12,421
981 Extensive O.R. Procedures Unrelated To Principal Diagnosis...	65	$790,784	+266%	$102,982
003 ECMO or Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal...	64	$5,161,515	+390%	$624,169
435 Malignancy of Hepatobiliary System or Pancreas with MCC	64	$359,660	+281%	$37,237
018 Chimeric Antigen Receptor (Car) T-Cell and Other...	63	$2,698,585	+22%	$394,664
689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC	63	$210,862	+311%	$21,372
308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC	62	$197,435	+249%	$21,257
312 Syncope and Collapse	62	$163,236	+258%	$16,913
374 Digestive Malignancy with MCC	62	$366,844	+265%	$43,372
441 Disorders of Liver except Malignancy, Cirrhosis or Alcoholic...	61	$347,895	+303%	$42,685
065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or...	59	$230,992	+315%	$18,894
101 Seizures without MCC	59	$176,050	+261%	$20,031

Showing the 60 most frequent of 279 DRGs.

Outpatient services

Service (APC)	Services	Avg charge	Medicare allowed
Level 2 Urology and Related Services	2,479	$8,295	$961
Comprehensive Observation Services	2,217	$76,792	$3,839
Level 1 Intraocular Procedures	1,626	$47,059	$3,275
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	1,384	$24,492	$2,261
Level 3 Urology and Related Services	914	$33,835	$2,842
Level 2 Upper GI Procedures	883	$34,290	$2,672
Level 3 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage	641	$47,398	$3,968
Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures	575	$102,226	$9,975
Level 3 Airway Endoscopy	573	$23,517	$2,384
Level 3 Vascular Procedures	496	$48,997	$4,461
Level 1 Nerve Procedures	481	$31,922	$2,658
Level 5 Musculoskeletal Procedures	464	$176,897	$18,461
Level 1 Endovascular Procedures	464	$55,720	$4,575
Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures	439	$346,502	$33,341
Level 4 Airway Endoscopy	436	$77,939	$5,226
Level 4 Urology and Related Services	436	$70,521	$4,865
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures	393	$66,869	$4,370
Level 5 Urology and Related Services	387	$110,631	$7,271
Level 3 Endovascular Procedures	357	$183,895	$15,439
Level 3 Extraocular, Repair, and Plastic Eye Procedures	321	$53,589	$3,250
Level 5 ENT Procedures	319	$121,432	$7,946
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services	300	$117,101	$8,049
Level 5 Airway Endoscopy	284	$154,448	$9,521
Level 2 Laparoscopy and Related Services	257	$192,621	$14,278
Level 2 Intraocular Procedures	242	$80,501	$5,725

Against the California average

For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Stanford Health Care charged $413,501 on average, 189% more than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $44,434 against a state average of $23,020. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Stanford Health Care charged $300,529 on average, 198% more than the California average of $100,739, and was paid $32,903 against a state average of $15,556. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Stanford Health Care charged $263,722 on average, 112% more than the California average of $124,302, and was paid $32,410 against a state average of $18,986. For Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of Lower Extremity without MCC (DRG 470), Stanford Health Care charged $250,769 on average, 82% more than the California average of $137,972, and was paid $30,883 against a state average of $21,800. For Level 2 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5372), its average charge of $8,295 was 71% above the state average of $4,853. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $76,792 was 84% above the state average of $41,628. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $47,059 was 124% above the state average of $20,986. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $24,492 was 66% above the state average of $14,749.

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.