US Health Care Costs

Breathing problem needing a ventilator (up to 4 days) in Washington

MS-DRG 208: Respiratory system diagnosis with ventilator support <=96 hours

$121,022typical hospital bill
$24,837typical amount paid
$21,276–$39,038range paid across 23 hospitals

Washington hospitals billed Medicare a typical $121,022 for this stay in 2024, about 4.9 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
Overlake Hospital Medical Center & ClinicsBellevue13$116,853$21,276
Providence St Peter HospitalOlympia23$122,836$21,510
Swedish IssaquahIssaquah11$91,035$21,690
Multicare Good Samaritan HospitalPuyallup17$123,117$22,310
Evergreenhealth Medical CenterKirkland16$128,667$22,727
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical CenterVancouver15$95,936$23,120
Tacoma General Allenmore HospitalTacoma17$74,969$23,621
Confluence Health HospitalWenatchee12$91,178$23,767
Trios HealthKennewick11$83,017$24,299
Peacehealth Southwest Medical CenteVancouver21$98,880$24,369
Providence Holy Family HospitalSpokane12$117,692$24,711
Yakima Valley MemorialYakima12$131,556$24,837
St Joseph Medical CenterTacoma15$152,263$24,907
Olympic Medical CenterPort Angeles12$61,137$24,927
Kadlec Regional Medical CenterRichland25$98,426$25,200
Valley Medical CenterRenton28$122,097$25,411
Peacehealth St Joseph Medical CenterBellingham24$142,817$25,471
St Michael Medical CenterSilverdale18$179,738$26,330
Providence Regional Medical Center EverettEverett26$115,968$27,171
Swedish Edmonds HospitalEdmonds14$121,022$27,405
Prov Sacred Hrt Med Ctr & Childs Hosp.Spokane30$142,200$29,823
University of Washington Medical CtrSeattle31$137,303$38,734
Swedish Medical CenterSeattle17$207,343$39,038

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.