Updated April 2026

Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC in Pennsylvania

104 Pennsylvania hospitals report Medicare totals for this DRG, averaging $45,243 (close to the $43,170 national mean), with a 3× spread from $22,835 to $70,403. 3 carry an A grade, 1 carry an F.

The Orthopedic procedure Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC carries DRG code 460 in the CMS classification system. 2,757 hospitals in Pennsylvania report payment data, averaging $43,170 per procedure — median $41,616, ranging from $12,600 to $94,585. The $12,600-to-$94,585 payment range is wide: the same DRG code can attract very different reimbursements across hospitals, reflecting differences in cost structure, patient complexity within the DRG, and regional pricing dynamics. The Medicare DRG system bundles cases by diagnosis-and-procedure groupings, so payment differences within a single DRG mostly track hospital-specific factors rather than case-mix.

Within Pennsylvania, the 2,757 hospitals reporting this procedure span the full range of ownership types and hospital sizes. The state-specific average ($43,170) is shaped by which hospitals in the state see enough volume to report the DRG code at all. For patients with elective scheduling on Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC, the cost-comparison logic is straightforward: the per-procedure payment range is meaningfully wide, so the hospital chosen affects total cost. For patients in an emergency, the choice is functionally fixed — but the listed prices still matter for insurance-coverage and out-of-pocket planning.

About This Procedure

Musculoskeletal DRGs include hip and knee replacement, spine fusion, fracture repair, and major joint revision. Implant cost, length of stay, and rehab intensity drive most of the price variation across hospitals — DRGs 469/470 (joint replacement) are among the most-watched price benchmarks in Medicare.

Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC is Medicare DRG 460 in the Orthopedic category. National Medicare average for this DRG is $43,170 across 2,757 reporting hospitals. The state-level view here filters that universe down to Pennsylvania only.

Cost Picture in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's average for this DRG sits close to the national Medicare mean. State-level differences are explained primarily by the regional Medicare wage index — the multiplier CMS applies to standardize DRG payments to local labor costs — alongside hospital case mix and the concentration of academic referral centers in the state's larger metros.

Within the state, the 3× spread between the lowest- and highest-reporting facility usually reflects length-of-stay differences, complication adjustments for sicker patients, teaching-status add-ons, and outlier payments for unusually long stays. Two hospitals reporting the same DRG can post meaningfully different totals without anything “wrong” happening at either site. For non-Medicare patients, the more relevant figure is the negotiated commercial rate published in each hospital's machine-readable file under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule.

Quality Alongside Price

For a planned admission, the most useful complement to the cost view is the hospital-specific quality data on CMS Care Compare. The site publishes risk-adjusted measures of mortality, readmission, complication, infection, and patient experience for every Medicare-participating hospital. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety Indicators feed many of these CMS measures.

For complex procedures, hospital-level case volume correlates with outcomes in published research, even after risk adjustment. CMS publishes case counts on Care Compare alongside outcome measures.

Hospitals in Pennsylvania Reporting Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC

Sorted lowest to highest Medicare total payment. Pricing is informational and should be considered alongside CMS quality measures.

#	Hospital	City	Payment	Quality	Grade
1	Upmc Williamsport Williamsport	Williamsport	$22,835	★★★☆☆	C
2	Clarion Hospital Clarion	Clarion	$24,823	★★☆☆☆	C
3	Penn Highlands Connellsville Connellsville	Connellsville	$25,532	Not Rated	C
4	Warren State Hospital North Warren	North Warren	$26,548	Not Rated	C
5	Upmc Children's Hospital Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	$26,918	Not Rated	C
6	Lehigh Valley Hospital - Hazleton Hazleton	Hazleton	$27,373	★☆☆☆☆	D
7	Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital East Norriton	East Norriton	$28,453	★★★★☆	B
8	Erie Va Medical Center Erie	Erie	$30,167	Not Rated	C
9	Kensington Hospital Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$31,057	Not Rated	C
10	Upmc Memorial York	York	$31,213	★★★☆☆	C
11	Acmh Hospital Kittanning	Kittanning	$31,757	★★☆☆☆	C
12	Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center Wilkes Barre	Wilkes Barre	$31,958	★★★★☆	B
13	Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital Fort Washington	Fort Washington	$32,992	Not Rated	C
14	Penn State Health St. Joseph Reading	Reading	$33,125	★★★★☆	B
15	Meadville Medical Center Meadville	Meadville	$33,127	★★★☆☆	C
16	Gettysburg Hospital Gettysburg	Gettysburg	$34,236	★★★★☆	B
17	Wellspan Ephrata Community Hospital Ephrata	Ephrata	$34,243	★★★★☆	B
18	Wilkes-Barre General Hospital Wilkes-Barre	Wilkes-Barre	$34,337	★☆☆☆☆	F
19	Wilkes Barre Va Medical Center Wilkes-Barre	Wilkes-Barre	$34,443	★★★★★	B
20	Haven Behavioral Hospital Of Eastern Pennsylvania Reading	Reading	$34,925	Not Rated	C
21	Upmc Horizon Greenville	Greenville	$35,118	★★★☆☆	C
22	Doylestown Hospital Doylestown	Doylestown	$35,798	★★★★☆	B
23	Geisinger Medical Center Muncy Muncy	Muncy	$36,553	Not Rated	C
24	Robert Packer Hospital Sayre	Sayre	$36,594	★★☆☆☆	C
25	Bryn Mawr Hospital Bryn Mawr	Bryn Mawr	$36,597	★★★★☆	C
26	Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill	Camp Hill	$36,660	★★☆☆☆	C
27	St Luke's Hospital - Carbon Campus Lehighton	Lehighton	$36,865	★★★★☆	B
28	Milton S Hershey Medical Center Hershey	Hershey	$36,937	★★★★☆	A
29	Lehigh Valley Hospital - Dickson City Dickson City	Dickson City	$38,235	★★★★☆	C
30	Titusville Area Hospital Titusville	Titusville	$38,498	Not Rated	C
31	Mercy Catholic Medical Center- Mercy Fitzgerald Darby	Darby	$39,125	★★☆☆☆	D
32	Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital Lewistown	Lewistown	$39,966	★★★★★	B
33	Children's Home Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	$40,016	Not Rated	C
34	Indiana Regional Medical Center Indiana	Indiana	$40,077	★★★☆☆	C
35	Advanced Surgical Hospital Washington	Washington	$40,133	Not Rated	C
36	Eagleville Hospital Eagleville	Eagleville	$40,610	Not Rated	C
37	Schuylkill Medical Center - South Jackson Street Pottsville	Pottsville	$41,824	★★★☆☆	C
38	Penn Highlands Dubois Dubois	Dubois	$42,150	★☆☆☆☆	D
39	St Luke's Hospital - Easton Campus Easton	Easton	$42,280	★★★☆☆	C
40	St Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital Coaldale	Coaldale	$42,385	★★★★☆	B
41	Upmc Wellsboro Wellsboro	Wellsboro	$42,545	★★★☆☆	C
42	Lecom Health Corry Memorial Hospital Corry	Corry	$42,932	Not Rated	C
43	Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone	Tyrone	$42,937	Not Rated	C
44	Geisinger St. Luke's Hospital Orwigsburg	Orwigsburg	$43,053	★★★★☆	B
45	Warren General Hospital Warren	Warren	$43,476	★★☆☆☆	D
46	Wellspan Waynesboro Hospital Waynesboro	Waynesboro	$43,558	★★★★☆	C
47	Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute Harrisburg	Harrisburg	$44,282	Not Rated	D
48	Excela Health - Frick Hospital Mount Pleasant	Mount Pleasant	$44,394	Not Rated	C
49	Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$44,419	★★☆☆☆	D
50	Upmc Lititz Lititz	Lititz	$44,765	★★★☆☆	D
51	Lehigh Valley Hospital - Pocono East Stroudsburg	East Stroudsburg	$45,237	★★★☆☆	C
52	Penn Highlands Brookville Brookville	Brookville	$46,351	Not Rated	C
53	Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	$46,460	★★☆☆☆	D
54	Crozer Chester Medical Center Upland	Upland	$46,643	★★☆☆☆	C
55	Temple University Hospital Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$46,922	★★★☆☆	C
56	Geisinger-Community Medical Center Scranton	Scranton	$46,998	★★★☆☆	C
57	Endless Mountains Health Systems Montrose	Montrose	$47,079	★★★☆☆	C
58	Ahn Wexford Hospital Wexford	Wexford	$47,198	★★★★★	B
59	Children's Hospital Of Philadelphia Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$47,462	Not Rated	C
60	Temple Health - Chestnut Hill Hospital Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$47,494	★★☆☆☆	C
61	Mount Nittany Medical Center State College	State College	$47,505	★★★★★	A
62	Allegheny Valley Hospital Natrona	Natrona	$48,724	★★★★☆	B
63	Haven Behavioral Hospital Of Philadelphia Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$49,245	Not Rated	C
64	Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital Lancaster	Lancaster	$49,347	Not Rated	C
65	Norristown State Hospital Norristown	Norristown	$49,548	Not Rated	C
66	Magee Womens Hospital Of Upmc Health System Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	$49,991	★★★☆☆	C
67	Upmc Cole Coudersport	Coudersport	$50,077	★★★★☆	C
68	Pottstown Hospital Pottstown	Pottstown	$50,565	★★☆☆☆	D
69	Geisinger Jersey Shore Hospital Jersey Shore	Jersey Shore	$50,612	★★★★☆	B
70	Conemaugh Nason Medical Center Roaring Spring	Roaring Spring	$50,617	★★★☆☆	C
71	Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center Johnstown	Johnstown	$51,023	★★☆☆☆	D
72	Upmc Muncy Muncy	Muncy	$51,474	Not Rated	D
73	Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital Greensburg	Greensburg	$51,753	★★★★☆	C
74	Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital Bloomsburg	Bloomsburg	$51,848	★★★★☆	B
75	Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$52,066	★★★★★	A
76	James E. Van Zandt Va Medical Center (altoona) Altoona	Altoona	$52,092	★★★★☆	B
77	St Luke's Hospital - Monroe Campus Stroudsburg	Stroudsburg	$52,213	★★★★☆	B
78	Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola	Enola	$52,475	Not Rated	C
79	Wayne Memorial Hospital Honesdale	Honesdale	$52,638	★★☆☆☆	C
80	Friends Hospital Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$52,741	Not Rated	D
81	Upmc Greene Waynesburg	Waynesburg	$53,233	Not Rated	C
82	St Mary Medical Center Langhorne	Langhorne	$53,264	★★☆☆☆	D
83	Conemaugh Miners Medical Center Hastings	Hastings	$53,354	Not Rated	D
84	Upmc Northwest Seneca	Seneca	$53,573	★★★★☆	C
85	Wellspan York Hospital York	York	$54,115	★★★★☆	C
86	Jefferson Abington Hospital Abington	Abington	$54,622	★★☆☆☆	C
87	Upmc Passavant Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh	$54,679	★★★★☆	B
88	Upmc Carlisle Carlisle	Carlisle	$54,686	★★★☆☆	C
89	Excela Health Latrobe Hospital Latrobe	Latrobe	$55,229	★★★★☆	C
90	Lehigh Valley Hospital Allentown	Allentown	$55,452	★★★★☆	C
91	Shriners Hospitals For Children - Philadelphia Philadelphia	Philadelphia	$55,863	Not Rated	C
92	Lower Bucks Hospital Bristol	Bristol	$56,036	★★★☆☆	C
93	Surgical Institute Of Reading Wyomissing	Wyomissing	$56,887	Not Rated	D
94	Punxsutawney Area Hospital Punxsutawney	Punxsutawney	$57,080	Not Rated	C
95	St Luke's Hospital - Upper Bucks Campus Quakertown	Quakertown	$58,369	★★★★☆	B
96	Suburban Community Hospital Norristown	Norristown	$58,584	★★★☆☆	C
97	Foundations Behavioral Health Doylestown	Doylestown	$58,688	Not Rated	C
98	Lecom Medical Center And Behavioral Health Pav Erie	Erie	$59,740	★★☆☆☆	C
99	Forbes Hospital Monroeville	Monroeville	$60,241	★★★☆☆	C
100	Haven Behavioral Hospital Of West Chester West Chester	West Chester	$61,492	Not Rated	D
101	Berwick Hospital Center Berwick	Berwick	$65,316	Not Rated	D
102	Rothman Orthopaedic Specialty Hospital Bensalem	Bensalem	$67,919	Not Rated	D
103	Regional Hospital Of Scranton Scranton	Scranton	$69,219	★★★☆☆	C
104	Horsham Clinic Ambler	Ambler	$70,403	Not Rated	C

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does spinal fusion (non-cervical) with mcc cost in Pennsylvania?

Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC (DRG 460) averages $45,243 in total Medicare payment across 104 Pennsylvania hospitals reporting this code. Within the state, payments span $22,835 to $70,403 — about 3× from cheapest to most expensive.

Is Spinal Fusion (Non-Cervical) with MCC more or less expensive in Pennsylvania than nationally?

Pennsylvania's state-level average of $45,243 sits close to the national Medicare average of $43,170 for this DRG. State differences are driven primarily by the regional Medicare wage index, case mix, and the share of high-acuity referral hospitals.

Why is the spread between hospitals so wide?

Variation within a state runs 3× because the same DRG can come with different lengths of stay, complication adjustments, teaching-status add-ons, and outlier payments. The CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule publishes machine-readable rate files that allow direct comparisons against negotiated commercial rates, which often differ from Medicare totals.

Are these the prices a privately insured patient would pay?

No. Figures here are Medicare DRG payments. Privately insured patients are billed under their plan's negotiated network rate, published in each hospital's price-transparency file. Uninsured patients should ask the hospital for the cash-pay rate, also disclosed under federal price-transparency rules.

Should I choose a hospital based only on price?

No. HospitalCostData is informational. Surgeon experience, hospital volume for the procedure, complication rates, and your specific clinical situation matter at least as much as price. Always discuss options with your physician and review CMS Care Compare quality data alongside any pricing benchmark.

See the methodology page for DRG sourcing and Medicare wage-index context.

Sources & Citations

CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospital Payments (IPPS). DRG-level average covered charges, total payments, and Medicare payments per facility. data.cms.gov
CMS Hospital Compare (Care Compare). Star ratings, mortality, readmission, safety-of-care, and patient-experience measures. medicare.gov/care-compare
CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule. Standard charge files required from every Medicare-participating hospital. cms.gov/hospital-price-transparency
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). National benchmarks, quality indicators, and clinical context for hospital outcome measures. ahrq.gov

Dataset last refreshed: April 2026. Underlying CMS files are public domain. Suggested citation: “HospitalCostData, hospitalcostdata.com, accessed May 24, 2026.”

This page is informational only and does not constitute medical, legal, or financial advice. Care decisions should be made with a licensed physician.

Source: CMS Hospital Price Transparency, 2026.