Illinois / Vista Medical Center East
CMS certification 140084 · Waukegan, IL · 4 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Vista Medical Center East: charges and Medicare payments
Vista Medical Center East reported 491 Medicare inpatient stays across 18 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 7.26 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in Illinois, number 2 of 106 hospitals with at least 100 stays (state median 4.06×, national 4.15×). Its most frequent stay was DRG 871, Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC: 119 stays at an average charge of $108,281, 20% above the national average. It also billed 401 outpatient services, charging 13.64 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 491
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 7.26×
- 3Rank in IL (highest ratio = 1) 2 of 106
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 4
Inpatient stays
For the 18 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Vista Medical Center East charged more than the national average in 14 (78%). 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 | 119 | $108,281 | +20% | $15,138 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 45 | $72,194 | +25% | $9,791 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 41 | $81,834 | +37% | $10,124 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 38 | $73,070 | +30% | $9,695 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 28 | $49,224 | +30% | $6,697 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 27 | $88,581 | +25% | $12,965 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 26 | $96,596 | +46% | $10,604 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 26 | $55,450 | +36% | $7,290 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 20 | $252,803 | +10% | $37,158 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 18 | $94,776 | -5% | $14,031 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 17 | $73,720 | 0% | $11,691 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 16 | $60,481 | +23% | $8,092 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 13 | $86,731 | +14% | $11,768 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 12 | $65,908 | +18% | $8,174 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 12 | $51,646 | +29% | $6,464 |
| 313 Chest Pain | 11 | $39,393 | -1% | $5,953 |
| 377 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with MCC | 11 | $80,704 | -5% | $13,089 |
| 812 Red Blood Cell Disorders without MCC | 11 | $45,694 | +3% | $7,442 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 223 | $27,900 | $2,575 |
| Level 1 Intraocular Procedures | 127 | $22,845 | $2,199 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 14 | $34,703 | $2,843 |
| Level 2 Vascular Procedures | 13 | $18,631 | $1,511 |
| Level 2 Endovascular Procedures | 12 | $47,733 | $5,394 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 12 | $73,714 | $5,446 |
Against the Illinois average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Vista Medical Center East charged $108,281 on average, 46% more than the Illinois average of $73,987, and was paid $15,138 against a state average of $17,651. For Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure (DRG 189), Vista Medical Center East charged $72,194 on average, 43% more than the Illinois average of $50,573, and was paid $9,791 against a state average of $11,480. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Vista Medical Center East charged $81,834 on average, 67% more than the Illinois average of $49,081, and was paid $10,124 against a state average of $11,857. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Vista Medical Center East charged $73,070 on average, 58% more than the Illinois average of $46,293, and was paid $9,695 against a state average of $11,813. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $27,900 was 30% above the state average of $21,498. For Level 1 Intraocular Procedures (outpatient APC 5491), its average charge of $22,845 was 53% above the state average of $14,917. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $34,703 was 76% above the state average of $19,664. For Level 2 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5182), its average charge of $18,631 was 107% above the state average of $8,985.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, IL, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2024-03-08 (CMS case 1571)
- Closure Notice — 2024-06-11 (CMS case 1571)
- Warning Notice — 2025-07-15 (CMS case 5626)
- Closure Notice — 2025-10-30 (CMS case 5626)
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.