CostGrade
F

8/100

#2,454 nationally

Watsonville Community Hospital

75 Nielson Street, Watsonville, CA 95076 · (831) 724-4741

Among the highest charge markups in the country

For every $1 of care Medicare actually paid for here, Watsonville Community Hospital billed $8.34 in list charges. That gap does not change a Medicare patient's bill — but it is where an uninsured or out-of-network bill starts.

Charge-to-payment
8.3x
volume-weighted across all its priced work
Procedures priced
24
inpatient and outpatient combined
Rank in CA
#211
lower markup ranks higher
CMS quality stars
2/5
shown for context, not in the grade

How this grade was reached

Each component is scored against every other U.S. hospital in the same federal files, so the grade is a position in the country, not a pass mark we invented.

Inpatient charge markup 4.4/35

Better than 12% of U.S. hospitals.

Outpatient charge markup 1.2/25

Better than 5% of U.S. hospitals.

Price level vs national median 1.3/30

Better than 4% of U.S. hospitals.

Price consistency 0.7/10

Better than 7% of U.S. hospitals.

What this hospital treats most

The ten procedures it billed Medicare for most often, with its charge beside the national middle.

Procedure Patients Charged Actually paid vs national
Sepsis (severe)

MS-DRG 871 · Inpatient stay

184 $145,895 $21,456 +124%
Comprehensive Observation Services

APC 8011 · Hospital outpatient visit

161 $66,541 $3,639 +242%
Sepsis (without major complications)

MS-DRG 872 · Inpatient stay

54 $108,620 $11,802 +177%
Heart Failure (severe)

MS-DRG 291 · Inpatient stay

42 $101,617 $14,590 +134%
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services

APC 5361 · Hospital outpatient visit

26 $108,298 $7,709 +208%
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage

APC 5072 · Hospital outpatient visit

24 $4,169 $2,166 -59%
Respiratory Infection (severe)

MS-DRG 177 · Inpatient stay

21 $125,862 $20,094 +129%
Respiratory Failure

MS-DRG 189 · Inpatient stay

21 $136,731 $17,351 +182%
Pneumonia (severe)

MS-DRG 193 · Inpatient stay

21 $106,911 $14,208 +129%
Fluid and Electrolyte Disorder (severe)

MS-DRG 640 · Inpatient stay

19 $71,689 $13,351 +48%

Where its charges run furthest above the national middle

Only procedures it performed at least eleven times, so a single unusual case cannot produce the headline.

Procedure Charged Actually paid vs national
Level 1 Abdominal/peritoneal/biliary and Related Procedures

APC 5341 · Hospital outpatient visit

$80,006 $4,622 +244%
Comprehensive Observation Services

APC 8011 · Hospital outpatient visit

$66,541 $3,639 +242%
Urinary Tract Infection (without major complications)

MS-DRG 690 · Inpatient stay

$98,669 $9,362 +231%
Stroke (uncomplicated)

MS-DRG 066 · Inpatient stay

$117,743 $7,998 +229%
Kidney Failure (with complications)

MS-DRG 683 · Inpatient stay

$107,114 $10,032 +225%
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related Services

APC 5361 · Hospital outpatient visit

$108,298 $7,709 +208%
Digestive Disorder (without major complications)

MS-DRG 392 · Inpatient stay

$93,505 $9,617 +190%
Stroke (with complications)

MS-DRG 065 · Inpatient stay

$131,268 $11,624 +188%

Where it charges least relative to everyone else

Procedure Charged Actually paid vs national
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and Drainage

APC 5072 · Hospital outpatient visit

$4,169 $2,166 -59%
Fluid and Electrolyte Disorder (severe)

MS-DRG 640 · Inpatient stay

$71,689 $13,351 +48%
Level 3 Musculoskeletal Procedures

APC 5113 · Hospital outpatient visit

$41,108 $4,325 +102%
Stroke (severe)

MS-DRG 064 · Inpatient stay

$155,646 $20,921 +104%
Kidney or Urinary Disorder (severe)

MS-DRG 698 · Inpatient stay

$120,894 $17,571 +113%
Sepsis (severe)

MS-DRG 871 · Inpatient stay

$145,895 $21,456 +124%
Respiratory Infection (severe)

MS-DRG 177 · Inpatient stay

$125,862 $20,094 +129%
Pneumonia (severe)

MS-DRG 193 · Inpatient stay

$106,911 $14,208 +129%

What this page cannot tell you

  • It is not your bill. These are averages across Medicare patients. What you pay depends on your insurance, your plan's negotiated rate and your own case.
  • It is not a quality rating. A hospital with a high markup may be excellent, and one with a low markup may not be. We checked: across every U.S. hospital, markup and the CMS quality star rating barely move together.
  • A charge is not a cost. Hospitals do not collect their list charges from insured patients. The number matters because it is the opening figure on an uninsured or out-of-network bill.
  • Ask for the real number. Every U.S. hospital must publish a machine-readable price file and give you a written good-faith estimate on request.