US Health Care Costs

Infection needing surgery, with major complications in Wisconsin

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

$124,933typical hospital bill
$38,104typical amount paid
$30,664–$69,968range paid across 32 hospitals

Wisconsin hospitals billed Medicare a typical $124,933 for this stay in 2024, about 3.3 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
Waukesha Memorial HospitalWaukesha24$122,673$30,664
Community Memorial HospitalMenomonee Falls17$108,033$31,036
Bellin Memorial HospitalGreen Bay18$73,868$31,516
Thedacare Regional Medical Center - Appleton IncAppleton32$62,750$31,573
West Allis Memorial HospitalWest Allis23$139,434$31,841
Marshfield Medical Center - WestonWeston17$84,461$31,858
Aurora Medical Center Sheboygan CountySheboygan22$101,188$33,510
Aurora Medical CenterGrafton36$133,095$34,758
Thedacare Regional Med Ctr - NeenahNeenah16$65,128$34,989
St Vincent HospitalGreen Bay21$175,597$35,641
Aspirus Wausau HospitalWausau71$108,033$35,663
Ascension SE Wisconsin HospitalMilwaukee23$87,413$36,211
Aurora BayCare Medical CtrGreen Bay33$129,116$36,303
The Monroe ClinicMonroe13$95,621$36,678
Ssm Health St Agnes Hospital-Fond Du LacFond Du Lac13$95,133$37,560
Aurora Lakeland Medical CenterElkhorn11$86,477$37,819
Aurora Medical Center KenoshaKenosha47$129,854$38,389
Gundersen Lutheran Medical CenterLa Crosse32$76,031$39,065
Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Medical Center IncLa Crosse19$82,755$39,195
Aurora Medical Center - SummitSummit19$100,744$39,298
Ascension All Saints HospitalRacine21$127,192$40,564
Ascension Columbia St Marys Hospital MilwaukeeMilwaukee27$189,817$40,824
Ssm Health St Mary's Hospital - MadisonMadison76$156,757$41,515
Mercy Health System CorpJanesville12$233,412$42,194
Unitypoint Health - MeriterMadison48$164,066$45,002
Mayo Clinic Health System Eau Claire HospitalEau Claire62$118,419$45,651
Beloit Health SystemBeloit19$199,768$49,589
Marshfield Medical CenterMarshfield42$131,150$49,894
Froedtert Memorial Lutheran HospitalMilwaukee61$146,503$50,303
Aurora St Lukes Medical CenterMilwaukee81$228,970$52,884
Froedtert South Inc.Kenosha18$261,826$63,067
University of Wi Hospitals & Clinics AuthorityMadison78$245,773$69,968

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.