Pennsylvania / UPMC Altoona
CMS certification 390073 · Altoona, PA · 1 entry in CMS's price-transparency list
UPMC Altoona: charges and Medicare payments
UPMC Altoona reported 1,819 Medicare inpatient stays across 61 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 4.07 times what it was paid — mid-range in Pennsylvania, number 67 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: 165 stays at an average charge of $61,463, 32% below the national average. It also billed 1,652 outpatient services, charging 5.66 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 1,819
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 4.07×
- 3Rank in PA (highest ratio = 1) 67 of 117
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 1
Inpatient stays
For the 61 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, UPMC Altoona 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 | 165 | $61,463 | -32% | $15,598 |
| 274 Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC | 111 | $108,070 | -31% | $24,750 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 103 | $31,110 | -45% | $9,739 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 72 | $54,061 | -29% | $12,108 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 67 | $49,017 | -31% | $12,959 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 54 | $43,961 | -26% | $10,435 |
| 885 Psychoses | 53 | $41,888 | -5% | $10,213 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 52 | $23,844 | -37% | $6,215 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 49 | $38,175 | -31% | $7,897 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 46 | $67,907 | -32% | $15,273 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 44 | $24,862 | -38% | $6,282 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 42 | $30,738 | -37% | $7,901 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 40 | $63,840 | -37% | $15,347 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 35 | $52,959 | -20% | $11,747 |
| 552 Medical Back Problems without MCC | 34 | $28,770 | -41% | $7,821 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 34 | $157,733 | -31% | $39,464 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 33 | $30,266 | -26% | $7,084 |
| 312 Syncope and Collapse | 30 | $24,566 | -46% | $6,812 |
| 309 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with CC | 29 | $26,775 | -26% | $5,876 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 28 | $42,749 | -17% | $8,917 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 26 | $34,422 | -30% | $8,319 |
| 321 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 25 | $89,415 | -45% | $22,154 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 25 | $60,052 | -30% | $14,174 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 25 | $25,398 | -32% | $7,012 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 25 | $40,283 | -33% | $9,926 |
| 286 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 24 | $68,930 | -39% | $17,349 |
| 322 Percutaneous Cardiovascular Procedures with Intraluminal... | 24 | $66,110 | -42% | $15,651 |
| 699 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with CC | 24 | $30,615 | -36% | $8,046 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 23 | $40,337 | -17% | $7,495 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 23 | $54,718 | -25% | $12,484 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 22 | $38,432 | -33% | $9,712 |
| 308 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders with MCC | 21 | $27,549 | -51% | $8,983 |
| 194 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with CC | 19 | $31,129 | -19% | $6,487 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 18 | $21,180 | -46% | $5,969 |
| 442 Disorders of Liver except Malignancy, Cirrhosis or Alcoholic... | 17 | $35,174 | -26% | $7,605 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 17 | $25,784 | -30% | $6,374 |
| 023 Craniotomy with Major Device Implant or Acute Complex Cns... | 16 | $165,961 | -41% | $43,931 |
| 287 Circulatory Disorders except AMI, with Cardiac... | 16 | $39,005 | -39% | $8,501 |
| 057 Degenerative Nervous System Disorders without MCC | 15 | $33,167 | -41% | $10,551 |
| 178 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with CC | 15 | $26,044 | -43% | $7,792 |
| 252 Other Vascular Procedures with MCC | 15 | $117,647 | -31% | $27,730 |
| 310 Cardiac Arrhythmia and Conduction Disorders without CC/MCC | 15 | $14,909 | -48% | $4,424 |
| 391 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 15 | $40,888 | -33% | $10,071 |
| 482 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint without CC/MCC | 15 | $52,362 | -33% | $12,349 |
| 563 Fracture, Sprain, Strain and Dislocation except Femur, Hip,... | 15 | $23,384 | -45% | $7,035 |
| 870 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with MV >96 Hours | 15 | $174,831 | -46% | $50,479 |
| 266 Endovascular Cardiac Valve Replacement and Supplement... | 14 | $167,007 | -41% | $49,482 |
| 394 Other Digestive System Diagnoses with CC | 14 | $21,514 | -54% | $7,377 |
| 638 Diabetes with CC | 14 | $30,711 | -26% | $7,126 |
| 069 Transient Ischemia without Thrombolytic | 13 | $31,079 | -38% | $6,293 |
| 253 Other Vascular Procedures with CC | 13 | $116,295 | -12% | $19,827 |
| 494 Lower Extremity and Humerus Procedures except Hip, Foot and... | 13 | $59,598 | -37% | $14,561 |
| 637 Diabetes with MCC | 13 | $44,786 | -33% | $11,445 |
| 948 Signs and Symptoms without MCC | 13 | $19,562 | -49% | $6,270 |
| 071 Other Cerebrovascular Disorders with CC | 12 | $27,345 | -46% | $8,903 |
| 281 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with CC | 12 | $30,468 | -40% | $7,248 |
| 445 Disorders of The Biliary Tract with CC | 12 | $36,628 | -37% | $8,565 |
| 660 Kidney and Ureter Procedures for Non-Neoplasm with CC | 12 | $44,437 | -34% | $10,472 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 11 | $36,708 | -27% | $7,252 |
| 329 Major Small and Large Bowel Procedures with MCC | 11 | $173,846 | -19% | $33,861 |
Showing the 60 most frequent of 61 DRGs.
Outpatient services
Against the Pennsylvania average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), UPMC Altoona charged $61,463 on average, 30% less than the Pennsylvania average of $88,167, and was paid $15,598 against a state average of $16,881. For Percutaneous and Other Intracardiac Procedures without MCC (DRG 274), UPMC Altoona charged $108,070 on average, 37% less than the Pennsylvania average of $171,962, and was paid $24,750 against a state average of $27,954. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), UPMC Altoona charged $31,110 on average, 46% less than the Pennsylvania average of $57,362, and was paid $9,739 against a state average of $11,112. For Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC (DRG 280), UPMC Altoona charged $54,061 on average, 25% less than the Pennsylvania average of $72,284, and was paid $12,108 against a state average of $13,850. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $15,507 was 29% below the state average of $21,732. For Level 1 Endovascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5191), its average charge of $22,004 was 23% below the state average of $28,496. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $10,943 was 20% below the state average of $13,651. For Level 3 Electrophysiologic Procedures (outpatient APC 5213), its average charge of $94,267 was 48% below the state average of $181,283.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named UPMC Altoona in Altoona, PA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2025-04-03 (CMS case 3568)
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.