US Health Care Costs

Infection needing surgery, with major complications in Louisiana

MS-DRG 853: Infectious and parasitic diseases with o.r. procedures with mcc

$168,358typical hospital bill
$32,696typical amount paid
$28,562–$118,479range paid across 26 hospitals

Louisiana hospitals billed Medicare a typical $168,358 for this stay in 2024, about 5.1 times what was actually paid. Medicare's payment depends mostly on the hospital's location and teaching role; the bill depends on the hospital's own price list, so bills vary far more than payments.

Billed (list price)Actually paid (Medicare + patient)

HospitalCityMedicare staysBilledPaid
Christus Shreveport-Bossier Health SystemShreveport36$246,294$28,562
Iberia Medical CenterNew Iberia23$83,938$28,763
Opelousas General Health SystemOpelousas19$81,801$29,852
Thibodaux Regional Medical CenterThibodaux12$110,028$29,946
Touro InfirmaryNew Orleans12$154,096$30,281
Glenwood Regional Medical CenterWest Monroe22$231,490$30,378
Ochsner Lafayette General Medical CenterLafayette80$177,720$31,406
Slidell Memorial HospitalSlidell31$188,529$31,426
Ochsner Medical Center - Baton RougeBaton Rouge17$110,520$31,554
Lake Charles Memorial HospitalLake Charles28$142,663$31,617
Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, IncLafayette61$95,584$31,740
North Oaks Medical CenterHammond40$257,812$31,870
Terrebonne General Medical Center - ParishHouma13$118,174$32,467
Fmol Health St FrancisMonroe57$143,672$32,925
Rapides Regional Medical CenterAlexandria74$452,931$34,127
St Tammany Parish HospitalCovington20$114,393$34,773
Baton Rouge General Medical CenterBaton Rouge92$95,922$35,102
Willis Knighton Medical CenterShreveport96$176,352$35,176
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical CenterBaton Rouge71$112,265$36,683
West Jefferson Medical CenterMarrero12$194,293$36,768
Christus St Frances Cabrini HospitalAlexandria54$220,186$38,638
Christus Ochsner St Patrick HospitalLake Charles34$160,364$39,416
Ochsner Medical Center AcuteNew Orleans67$182,364$43,902
East Jefferson General HospitalMetairie38$444,917$46,627
Ochsner Lsu Health ShreveportShreveport21$250,139$67,309
University Medical Center New OrleansNew Orleans14$404,145$118,479

Medicare: CMS, 2024 (hospitals with 11 or more Medicare stays). Cash and insurer prices: hospitals' own price files, where read; insurer figures are commercial plans only, median and 10th–90th percentile across plans.