Massachusetts / Tufts Medical Center
CMS certification 220116 · Boston, MA · 6 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Tufts Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Tufts Medical Center reported 2,885 Medicare inpatient stays across 116 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.28 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Massachusetts, number 16 of 52 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 2×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 291, Heart Failure and Shock with MCC: 121 stays at an average charge of $45,334, 20% below the national average. It also billed 3,735 outpatient services, charging 4.54 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 2,885
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.28×
- 3Rank in MA (highest ratio = 1) 16 of 52
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 6
Inpatient stays
For the 116 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Tufts Medical Center charged more than the national average in 3 (3%). Payments follow Medicare's rates, so they usually vary far less than charges.
| DRG | Stays | Avg charge | vs US | Avg paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 121 | $45,334 | -20% | $21,528 |
| 871 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC | 115 | $71,824 | -20% | $28,824 |
| 267 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 111 | $111,524 | -50% | $54,716 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 82 | $72,355 | -36% | $32,136 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 57 | $42,309 | -40% | $21,573 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 54 | $108,240 | -31% | $38,423 |
| 266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 52 | $161,112 | -43% | $71,902 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 47 | $35,693 | -53% | $21,178 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 47 | $18,977 | -47% | $10,584 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 44 | $36,089 | -40% | $18,425 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 43 | $24,618 | -39% | $10,853 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 42 | $61,529 | -39% | $24,455 |
| 455 Combined Anterior and Posterior Spinal Fusion without CC/MCC | 41 | $59,942 | -70% | $54,178 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 41 | $198,223 | -13% | $73,812 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 40 | $79,276 | -21% | $34,207 |
| 472 Cervical Spinal Fusion with CC | 37 | $54,599 | -62% | $34,695 |
| 847 Chemotherapy without Acute Leukemia As Secondary Diagnosis... | 37 | $21,430 | -68% | $20,365 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 36 | $26,752 | -56% | $18,704 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 35 | $34,489 | -38% | $13,992 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 35 | $21,022 | -48% | $12,062 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 34 | $19,477 | -47% | $10,828 |
| 023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns... | 33 | $179,964 | -36% | $75,937 |
| 219 Cardiac Valve and Other Major Cardiothoracic Procedures... | 32 | $253,782 | -36% | $107,202 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 32 | $18,755 | -50% | $11,925 |
| 314 Other Circulatory System Diagnoses with MCC | 31 | $64,616 | -32% | $28,501 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 30 | $39,419 | -38% | $17,634 |
| 236 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization without MCC | 29 | $138,726 | -34% | $52,732 |
| 025 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with MCC | 28 | $100,545 | -57% | $49,691 |
| 235 Coronary Bypass without Cardiac Catheterization with MCC | 27 | $175,249 | -40% | $77,569 |
| 445 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with CC | 27 | $36,306 | -38% | $14,780 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 27 | $23,532 | -52% | $12,171 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 27 | $49,834 | -24% | $22,583 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 26 | $21,082 | -45% | $10,779 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 26 | $18,521 | -36% | $8,519 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 26 | $85,092 | -26% | $29,012 |
| 330 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with CC | 26 | $71,170 | -40% | $31,508 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 26 | $37,545 | -23% | $13,311 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 26 | $54,114 | -42% | $24,723 |
| 026 Craniotomy and Endovascular Intracranial Procedures with CC | 25 | $84,550 | -49% | $40,582 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 25 | $21,662 | -54% | $13,709 |
| 003 ECMO or Tracheostomy with MV >96 Hours or Principal... | 24 | $1,006,590 | -4% | $378,894 |
| 480 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with MCC | 24 | $98,418 | -29% | $36,513 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 23 | $155,033 | -28% | $57,663 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 22 | $21,669 | -52% | $11,963 |
| 460 Spinal Fusion except Cervical without MCC | 22 | $52,433 | -69% | $42,104 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 22 | $20,677 | -50% | $11,510 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 22 | $42,344 | -42% | $21,389 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 21 | $28,057 | -45% | $14,497 |
| 191 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with CC | 21 | $24,061 | -39% | $11,450 |
| 270 Other Major Cardiovascular Procedures with MCC | 21 | $136,946 | -47% | $67,295 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 21 | $49,430 | -42% | $25,386 |
| 082 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour with MCC | 20 | $63,949 | -45% | $31,331 |
| 164 Major Chest Procedures with CC | 20 | $59,080 | -54% | $30,272 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 20 | $112,203 | -31% | $37,302 |
| 001 Heart Transplant or Implant of Heart Assist System with MCC | 19 | $1,156,912 | -21% | $405,136 |
| 083 Traumatic Stupor and Coma >1 Hour with CC | 19 | $32,394 | -56% | $16,858 |
| 252 Other Vascular Procedures with MCC | 19 | $97,175 | -43% | $40,762 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 19 | $36,953 | -39% | $22,357 |
| 393 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with MCC | 19 | $52,612 | -31% | $25,158 |
| 444 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with MCC | 19 | $47,684 | -43% | $21,454 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 116 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Massachusetts average
For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Tufts Medical Center charged $45,334 on average, 49% more than the Massachusetts average of $30,373, and was paid $21,528 against a state average of $12,996. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Tufts Medical Center charged $71,824 on average, 59% more than the Massachusetts average of $45,229, and was paid $28,824 against a state average of $19,536. For Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement Procedures without MCC (DRG 267), Tufts Medical Center charged $111,524 on average, 20% less than the Massachusetts average of $139,600, and was paid $54,716 against a state average of $53,890. For Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac Catheterization with MCC (DRG 286), Tufts Medical Center charged $72,355 on average, 21% less than the Massachusetts average of $91,231, and was paid $32,136 against a state average of $28,014. For Level 2 Urology and Related Services (outpatient APC 5372), its average charge of $5,059 was 94% above the state average of $2,606. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $7,310 was 2% above the state average of $7,172. For Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures (outpatient APC 5213), its average charge of $91,808 was 15% below the state average of $108,274. For Level 2 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5492), its average charge of $14,715 was 26% above the state average of $11,718.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Tufts Medical Center in Boston, MA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2021-05-18 (CMS case 84)
- CAP Request — 2021-10-27 (CMS case 84)
- Closure Notice — 2022-01-18 (CMS case 84)
- Warning Notice — 2023-11-16 (CMS case 2044)
- Closure Notice — 2024-03-18 (CMS case 2044)
- Met Requirements — 2025-03-19 (CMS case 3307)
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.