California / Watsonville Community Hospital
CMS certification 050194 · Watsonville, CA · 3 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Watsonville Community Hospital: charges and Medicare payments
Watsonville Community Hospital reported 506 Medicare inpatient stays across 18 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 7.51 times what it was paid — among the higher ratios in California, number 45 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: 184 stays at an average charge of $145,895, 62% above the national average. It also billed 254 outpatient services, charging 19.83 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 506
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 7.51×
- 3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 45 of 247
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 3
Inpatient stays
For the 18 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Watsonville Community Hospital charged more than the national average in 18 (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 | 184 | $145,895 | +62% | $21,456 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 54 | $108,620 | +121% | $11,802 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 42 | $101,617 | +80% | $14,590 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 21 | $125,862 | +78% | $20,094 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 21 | $136,731 | +138% | $17,351 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 21 | $106,911 | +79% | $14,208 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 19 | $71,689 | +19% | $13,351 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 18 | $98,669 | +161% | $9,362 |
| 065 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with CC or... | 16 | $131,268 | +136% | $11,624 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 16 | $93,504 | +133% | $9,617 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 14 | $77,973 | +110% | $9,137 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 13 | $120,894 | +65% | $17,571 |
| 389 Gastrointestinal Obstruction with CC | 12 | $81,797 | +110% | $9,168 |
| 064 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction with MCC | 11 | $155,646 | +56% | $20,921 |
| 066 Intracranial Hemorrhage or Cerebral Infarction without... | 11 | $117,743 | +178% | $7,998 |
| 481 Hip and Femur Procedures except Major Joint with CC | 11 | $228,993 | +127% | $23,888 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 11 | $107,114 | +163% | $10,032 |
| 853 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases with O.R. Procedures with... | 11 | $511,430 | +123% | $70,773 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 161 | $66,541 | $3,639 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 26 | $108,298 | $7,709 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 24 | $4,169 | $2,166 |
| Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 16 | $41,108 | $4,325 |
| Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related Procedures | 15 | $80,006 | $4,622 |
| Level 2 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 12 | $27,493 | $2,148 |
Against the California average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Watsonville Community Hospital charged $145,895 on average, 2% more than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $21,456 against a state average of $23,020. For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC (DRG 872), Watsonville Community Hospital charged $108,620 on average, 43% more than the California average of $76,120, and was paid $11,802 against a state average of $12,552. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Watsonville Community Hospital charged $101,617 on average, 1% more than the California average of $100,739, and was paid $14,590 against a state average of $15,556. For Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC (DRG 177), Watsonville Community Hospital charged $125,862 on average, 1% more than the California average of $124,302, and was paid $20,094 against a state average of $18,986. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $66,541 was 60% above the state average of $41,628. For Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services (outpatient APC 5361), its average charge of $108,298 was 68% above the state average of $64,351. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $4,169 was 72% below the state average of $14,749. For Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5113), its average charge of $41,108 was 13% above the state average of $36,238.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Watsonville Community Hospital in Watsonville, CA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2024-12-13 (CMS case 2970)
- CAP Request — 2025-03-19 (CMS case 2970)
- Closure Notice — 2025-04-15 (CMS case 2970)
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.