Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive — what U.S. hospitals charge
MS-DRG 458 · Inpatient stay · 7 U.S. hospitals publish a price
Cheapest quarter
under $109,406
Typical charge
$160,445
Dearest quarter
over $202,464
Actually paid
$37,730
The middle U.S. hospital bills $160,445 for Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive. The dearest hospitals charge about 3.4x what the cheapest do for the same coded work. Medicare actually paid about $37,730 per case.
These are charges, not quotes. What you pay depends on your insurance and your own case. The figures matter because the charge is where an uninsured or out-of-network bill starts.
Where Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive is charged least
Hospitals that performed it at least eleven times, so a single case cannot set the figure.
| Hospital | Charged | Actually paid |
|---|---|---|
|
Orthoindy Hospital
Indianapolis, IN |
$77,524 | $30,077 |
|
Naples Community Hospital
Naples, FL |
$100,705 | $32,141 |
|
Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center
Akron, OH |
$118,107 | $28,016 |
|
Oklahoma Spine Hospital
Oklahoma City, OK |
$160,445 | $32,015 |
|
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, DC |
$187,312 | $52,518 |
|
Hospital For Special Surgery
New York, NY |
$217,615 | $59,820 |
|
Grandview Medical Center
Birmingham, AL |
$451,208 | $29,527 |
Where it is charged most
Hospitals that performed it at least eleven times, so a single case cannot set the figure.
| Hospital | Charged | Actually paid |
|---|---|---|
|
Grandview Medical Center
Birmingham, AL |
$451,208 | $29,527 |
|
Hospital For Special Surgery
New York, NY |
$217,615 | $59,820 |
|
Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
Washington, DC |
$187,312 | $52,518 |
|
Oklahoma Spine Hospital
Oklahoma City, OK |
$160,445 | $32,015 |
|
Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center
Akron, OH |
$118,107 | $28,016 |
|
Naples Community Hospital
Naples, FL |
$100,705 | $32,141 |
|
Orthoindy Hospital
Indianapolis, IN |
$77,524 | $30,077 |
Questions people ask
What do U.S. hospitals charge for Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive?
Across 7 U.S. hospitals, the middle charge for Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive is $160,445. Half of hospitals charge less than that and half charge more. The cheapest quarter charge under $109,406 and the dearest quarter over $202,464.
Why do hospitals charge such different amounts for the same procedure?
Because a hospital charge is a list price it sets itself, not a regulated rate. For Spinal Fusion Except Cervical with Spinal Curvature, Malignancy, Infection or Extensive, the hospitals in the dearest tenth charge about 3.4x what the cheapest tenth charge for the same coded work. Insurers negotiate their own rates from those lists, which is why the charge and what is actually paid can be very far apart.
Is that what I would actually pay?
No. $37,730 is roughly what Medicare actually paid per case, against an average charge of $186,701. If you have insurance, your plan pays a negotiated rate and you pay your deductible and coinsurance. If you are uninsured or out of network, the hospital's charge is where your bill starts — which is why the gap matters. Ask for a written good-faith estimate before treatment.
What this code covers
CMS records this work as MS-DRG 458: “SPINAL FUSION EXCEPT CERVICAL WITH SPINAL CURVATURE, MALIGNANCY, INFECTION OR EXTENSIVE”. A DRG covers a whole inpatient stay rather than a single item, so the charge includes the room, the procedure and the care around it. Codes that mention complications carry a different, usually higher price.