US Health Care Costs

Sepsis, with major complications in Iowa

MS-DRG 871: Septicemia or severe sepsis without mv >96 hours with mcc

$43,227typical hospital bill
$14,362typical amount paid
$12,614–$21,701range paid across 28 hospitals

Iowa hospitals billed Medicare a typical $43,227 for this stay in 2024, about 3.0 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
Grinnell Regional Medical CenterGrinnell62$26,947$12,614
Finley HospitalDubuque177$30,757$12,888
Trinity - BettendorfBettendorf66$39,537$12,913
Mary Greeley Medical CenterAmes119$46,890$13,042
Mercy Medical Center - Cedar RapidsCedar Rapids60$44,359$13,224
St Lukes HospitalCedar Rapids280$37,910$13,324
Methodist Jennie EdmundsonCouncil Bluffs109$45,832$13,497
Genesis Medical Center-DavenportDavenport278$42,070$13,505
University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center DownIowa City156$65,768$13,619
Mercyone Dubuque Medical CenterDubuque307$44,734$13,689
Allen HospitalWaterloo208$29,438$13,966
Mercyone Newton Medical CenterNewton48$29,280$14,157
Mercyone Des Moines Medical CenterDes Moines529$75,365$14,172
Lakes Regional HealthcareSpirit Lake21$18,620$14,247
Unitypoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist MediDes Moines914$53,561$14,478
Mercyone Siouxland Medical CenterSioux City165$44,836$14,491
Trinity Regional Medical CenterFort Dodge151$36,778$14,526
Mercyone Waterloo Medical CenterWaterloo94$45,767$14,650
Chi Health Mercy Council BluffsCouncil Bluffs151$52,057$14,880
St Lukes Regional Medical CenterSioux City270$42,094$14,946
Mercyone North Iowa Medical CenterMason City181$59,899$15,728
Spencer Municipal HospitalSpencer64$30,618$16,068
Southeast Iowa Regional Medical CenterWest Burlington262$37,839$16,541
Ottumwa Regional Health CenterOttumwa53$53,490$16,544
Mercyone Clinton Medical CenterClinton67$54,661$16,891
Unitypoint Health - MarshalltownMarshalltown53$23,823$17,510
Trinity MuscatineMuscatine68$21,980$20,175
University of Iowa Hospital & ClinicsIowa City230$98,391$21,701

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.