Rankings
Who pays the most, who pays the least, which procedures cost a fortune, where the same surgery costs 50× more at one hospital than another. Pick a leaderboard, then sort and filter to your heart's content.
Most expensive procedures
National median negotiated rate, descending
| Code | Type | Description | National median | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | MS_DRG | — | $370,165 | 2,224 |
| 588 | MS_DRG | — | $313,714 | 29 |
| 5834 | APR_DRG | — | $311,018 | 1,093 |
| 588 | APR_DRG | — | $280,935 | 30 |
| 1 | MS_DRG | — | $261,939 | 2,289 |
Cheapest procedures
National median, ascending — excludes $0 sentinels
| Code | Type | Description | National median | Hospitals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 978 | MS_DRG | — | $51 | 2 |
| 889 | MS_DRG | — | $51 | 2 |
| 590 | MS_DRG | — | $51 | 2 |
| 874 | MS_DRG | — | $51 | 2 |
| 960 | MS_DRG | — | $51 | 2 |
Highest-paid hospitals
Overall median across every code they file
| Hospital | State | City | Overall median | Rate volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nexus Specialty Hospital The Woodlands | TX | SHENANDOAH | $137,716 | 654 |
| WALLOWA MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | OR | ENTERPRISE | $114,456 | 410 |
| Sonoma Specialty Hospital | CA | SEBASTOPOL | $103,154 | 763 |
| Central Valley Specialty Hospital | CA | MODESTO | $100,965 | 908 |
| ANN & ROBERT H LURIE CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO | IL | CHICAGO | $86,508 | 28,381 |
Lowest-paid hospitals
Same metric, ascending — excludes $0
| Hospital | State | City | Overall median | Rate volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MESA SPRINGS | TX | FORT WORTH | $484 | 1,044 |
| ROCK SPRINGS | TX | GEORGETOWN | $489 | 477 |
| CARROLLTON SPRINGS | TX | CARROLLTON | $513 | 508 |
| WOODLAND SPRINGS | TX | CONROE | $513 | 413 |
| WESTPARK SPRINGS LLC | TX | RICHMOND | $538 | 477 |
Top payers by spend
Estimated total $ (rate volume × median), descending. Figures cover shoppable procedures (DRGs) only.
| Payer | Est. total $ | Median paid | Hospitals | Rate volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | $100,836,506,934 | $15,298 | 2,304 | 6,591,483 |
| Aetna | $72,811,591,099 | $15,457 | 2,138 | 4,710,712 |
| Cigna Healthcare | $63,980,698,845 | $19,607 | 1,834 | 3,263,126 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield Association | $49,772,031,421 | $18,757 | 717 | 2,653,465 |
| Humana | $34,325,937,094 | $13,414 | 1,791 | 2,558,913 |
Lowest-paying payers
Median paid per rate, ascending. Figures cover shoppable procedures (DRGs) only.
| Payer | Median paid | Hospitals | Rate volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| HEALTH PLANS INCORPORATED | $9 | 11 | 14,461 |
| VALUE OPTIONS | $325 | 12 | 6,120 |
| Carelon Behavioral Health | $350 | 29 | 16,935 |
| TRIPLE-S SALUD | $567 | 8 | 4,486 |
| ComPsych Corporation | $749 | 11 | 8,368 |
Largest price spreads
Same code, max-vs-min hospital ratio (50× means one hospital charges 50 times another)
| Code | Type | Description | Cheapest | Most expensive | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7614 | APR_DRG | — | $1,372 | $374,300 | 272.9× |
| 181 | APR_DRG | — | $1,734 | $404,002 | 233.0× |
| 280 | APR_DRG | — | $498 | $114,190 | 229.2× |
| 602 | APR_DRG | — | $4,626 | $1,035,425 | 223.8× |
| 660 | APR_DRG | — | $689 | $148,119 | 215.1× |