Virginia / VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital
CMS certification 490084 · Tappahannock, VA · 1 entry in CMS's price-transparency list
VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital reported 304 Medicare inpatient stays across 14 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 2.44 times what it was paid — among the lower ratios in Virginia, number 61 of 66 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 3.6×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 58 stays at an average charge of $39,926, 56% below the national average. It also billed 282 outpatient services, charging 6.22 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 304
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 2.44×
- 3Rank in VA (highest ratio = 1) 61 of 66
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 1
Inpatient stays
For the 14 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital 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 | 58 | $39,926 | -56% | $17,641 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 49 | $23,063 | -59% | $11,392 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 32 | $36,917 | -48% | $15,125 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 24 | $46,570 | -22% | $12,388 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 18 | $21,390 | -47% | $7,728 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 17 | $19,334 | -62% | $9,937 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 16 | $25,604 | -48% | $9,752 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 14 | $22,026 | -62% | $11,532 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 14 | $18,762 | -50% | $8,232 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 14 | $19,546 | -48% | $7,489 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 12 | $34,005 | -39% | $9,247 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 12 | $17,750 | -52% | $7,269 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 12 | $22,241 | -45% | $8,172 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 12 | $20,559 | -60% | $10,420 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 128 | $15,039 | $2,535 |
| Level 3 Lower GI Procedures | 25 | $13,943 | $2,615 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 21 | $21,117 | $6,414 |
| Level 1 Nerve Procedures | 19 | $11,119 | $1,799 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 18 | $9,751 | $3,016 |
| Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures | 16 | $11,733 | $3,224 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 14 | $4,460 | $1,498 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 14 | $23,287 | $2,970 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 14 | $22,476 | $5,377 |
| Level 2 Upper GI Procedures | 13 | $7,452 | $1,773 |
Against the Virginia average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital charged $39,926 on average, 39% less than the Virginia average of $65,235, and was paid $17,641 against a state average of $16,367. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital charged $23,063 on average, 43% less than the Virginia average of $40,795, and was paid $11,392 against a state average of $11,030. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital charged $36,917 on average, 25% less than the Virginia average of $49,485, and was paid $15,125 against a state average of $13,709. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital charged $46,570 on average, 4% more than the Virginia average of $44,717, and was paid $12,388 against a state average of $11,065. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $15,039 was 23% below the state average of $19,506. For Level 3 Lower GI Procedures (outpatient APC 5313), its average charge of $13,943 was 36% below the state average of $21,924. For Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5114), its average charge of $21,117 was 60% below the state average of $53,311. For Level 1 Nerve Procedures (outpatient APC 5431), its average charge of $11,119 was 9% below the state average of $12,264.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital in Tappahannock, VA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Met Requirements — 2024-11-14 (CMS case 2918)
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.