California / Whittier Hospital Medical Center
CMS certification 050735 · Whittier, CA · 2 entries in CMS's price-transparency list
Whittier Hospital Medical Center: charges and Medicare payments
Whittier Hospital Medical Center reported 540 Medicare inpatient stays across 21 DRGs in 2024. Across them it charged 5.38 times what it was paid — mid-range in California, number 114 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: 149 stays at an average charge of $120,419, 33% above the national average. It also billed 127 outpatient services, charging 8.96 times what Medicare paid.
- 1Medicare inpatient stays 540
- 2Charge ÷ paid, inpatient 5.38×
- 3Rank in CA (highest ratio = 1) 114 of 247
- 4CMS price-transparency actions 2
Inpatient stays
For the 21 DRGs that can be compared with the national average, Whittier Hospital Medical Center charged more than the national average in 14 (67%). 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 | 149 | $120,419 | +33% | $20,208 |
| 291 Heart Failure and Shock with MCC | 51 | $70,892 | +26% | $13,300 |
| 641 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 33 | $48,997 | +32% | $8,639 |
| 193 Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC | 31 | $87,086 | +46% | $13,831 |
| 177 Respiratory Infections and Inflammations with MCC | 30 | $93,302 | +32% | $16,505 |
| 190 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease with MCC | 22 | $64,660 | +28% | $11,567 |
| 640 Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and... | 22 | $51,350 | -15% | $13,640 |
| 603 Cellulitis without MCC | 21 | $37,484 | +1% | $9,332 |
| 071 Other Cerebrovascular Disorders with CC | 17 | $39,423 | -22% | $11,355 |
| 690 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections without MCC | 17 | $37,086 | -2% | $8,845 |
| 682 Renal Failure with MCC | 16 | $67,691 | +3% | $16,733 |
| 689 Kidney and Urinary Tract Infections with MCC | 16 | $44,995 | -12% | $12,415 |
| 872 Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours without MCC | 16 | $72,454 | +48% | $11,158 |
| 189 Pulmonary Edema and Respiratory Failure | 14 | $59,772 | +4% | $13,180 |
| 392 Esophagitis, Gastroenteritis and Miscellaneous Digestive... | 14 | $44,693 | +11% | $8,724 |
| 101 Seizures without MCC | 12 | $41,724 | -14% | $9,784 |
| 378 Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage with CC | 12 | $69,216 | +43% | $10,708 |
| 470 Major Hip and Knee Joint Replacement or Reattachment of... | 12 | $100,665 | +8% | $19,738 |
| 683 Renal Failure with CC | 12 | $46,799 | +15% | $9,746 |
| 698 Other Kidney and Urinary Tract Diagnoses with MCC | 12 | $69,451 | -5% | $15,628 |
| 280 Acute Myocardial Infarction, Discharged Alive with MCC | 11 | $64,933 | -14% | $13,704 |
Outpatient services
| Service (APC) | Services | Avg charge | Medicare allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Observation Services | 66 | $26,468 | $3,328 |
| Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage | 20 | $18,381 | $1,993 |
| Level 3 Vascular Procedures | 16 | $27,362 | $3,919 |
| Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures | 14 | $49,278 | $8,792 |
| Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services | 11 | $45,538 | $7,094 |
Against the California average
For Septicemia or Severe Sepsis without MV >96 Hours with MCC (DRG 871), Whittier Hospital Medical Center charged $120,419 on average, 16% less than the California average of $143,063, and was paid $20,208 against a state average of $23,020. For Heart Failure and Shock with MCC (DRG 291), Whittier Hospital Medical Center charged $70,892 on average, 30% less than the California average of $100,739, and was paid $13,300 against a state average of $15,556. For Miscellaneous Disorders of Nutrition, Metabolism, Fluids and Electrolytes without MCC (DRG 641), Whittier Hospital Medical Center charged $48,997 on average, 19% less than the California average of $60,462, and was paid $8,639 against a state average of $9,715. For Simple Pneumonia and Pleurisy with MCC (DRG 193), Whittier Hospital Medical Center charged $87,086 on average, 16% less than the California average of $103,761, and was paid $13,831 against a state average of $15,112. For Comprehensive Observation Services (outpatient APC 8011), its average charge of $26,468 was 36% below the state average of $41,628. For Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage (outpatient APC 5072), its average charge of $18,381 was 25% above the state average of $14,749. For Level 3 Vascular Procedures (outpatient APC 5183), its average charge of $27,362 was 9% below the state average of $30,190. For Level 4 Musculoskeletal Procedures (outpatient APC 5114), its average charge of $49,278 was 29% below the state average of $69,476.
Price-transparency record
CMS's enforcement list records these actions for a hospital named Whittier Hospital Medical Center in Whittier, CA, under the federal hospital price-transparency rule (45 CFR part 180), which requires hospitals to post their standard charges online:
- Warning Notice — 2024-02-20 (CMS case 1935)
- Closure Notice — 2024-06-21 (CMS case 1935)
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.