What the code on your hospital bill means

Inpatient hospital bills are built around MS-DRG codes — a number that decides what your stay is worth to the hospital, and which almost nobody explains to the patient holding the bill. Here are all 772 of them, each with what hospitals billed and what was actually paid.

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The 60 most common hospital stays

Ordered by how many Medicare patients were treated — in other words, the bills the most people are actually holding.

Average billed and paid nationally, 2024 Medicare data

Type of stay	Average billed	Average paid	Ratio
Septicemia or severe sepsis without MV >96 hours with MCCMS-DRG 871	$90,297	$18,228	5×
Heart failure and shock with MCCMS-DRG 291	$56,380	$12,053	4.7×
Respiratory infections and inflammations with MCCMS-DRG 177	$70,592	$14,972	4.7×
Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with MCCMS-DRG 193	$59,757	$12,050	5×
Septicemia or severe sepsis without MV >96 hours without MCCMS-DRG 872	$49,049	$10,091	4.9×
Kidney and urinary tract infections without MCCMS-DRG 690	$37,821	$7,851	4.8×
Pulmonary edema and respiratory failureMS-DRG 189	$57,570	$12,198	4.7×
Esophagitis, gastroenteritis and miscellaneous digestive disorders without MCCMS-DRG 392	$40,165	$7,830	5.1×
Acute myocardial infarction, discharged alive with MCCMS-DRG 280	$75,821	$14,782	5.1×
Kidney and urinary tract infections with MCCMS-DRG 689	$51,326	$10,743	4.8×
Infectious and parasitic diseases with o.r. procedures with MCCMS-DRG 853	$228,948	$46,478	4.9×
Renal failure with CCMS-DRG 683	$40,705	$8,658	4.7×
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage with CCMS-DRG 378	$48,550	$9,389	5.2×
Other kidney and urinary tract diagnoses with MCCMS-DRG 698	$73,427	$15,441	4.8×
Miscellaneous disorders of nutrition, metabolism, fluids and electrolytes with MCCMS-DRG 640	$60,293	$12,791	4.7×
Renal failure with MCCMS-DRG 682	$65,939	$13,729	4.8×
Intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral infarction with CC or tpa in 24 hoursMS-DRG 065	$55,724	$9,914	5.6×
Intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral infarction with MCCMS-DRG 064	$99,864	$18,832	5.3×
Miscellaneous disorders of nutrition, metabolism, fluids and electrolytes without MCCMS-DRG 641	$37,058	$7,789	4.8×
Hip and femur procedures except major joint with CCMS-DRG 481	$100,756	$18,493	5.4×
Cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders with CCMS-DRG 309	$36,115	$7,304	4.9×
Major hip and knee joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity without MCCMS-DRG 470	$93,184	$17,364	5.4×
Cellulitis without MCCMS-DRG 603	$37,289	$8,681	4.3×
Percutaneous and other intracardiac procedures without MCCMS-DRG 274	$156,757	$27,537	5.7×
Syncope and collapseMS-DRG 312	$45,536	$8,563	5.3×
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with MCCMS-DRG 190	$50,592	$10,597	4.8×
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage with MCCMS-DRG 377	$85,391	$16,677	5.1×
Medical back problems without MCCMS-DRG 552	$48,855	$9,347	5.2×
Percutaneous cardiovascular procedures with intraluminal device without MCCMS-DRG 322	$114,560	$17,280	6.6×
Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with CCMS-DRG 194	$38,379	$8,028	4.8×
Cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders with MCCMS-DRG 308	$56,635	$11,419	5×
Hip replacement with principal diagnosis of hip fracture without MCCMS-DRG 522	$102,323	$18,379	5.6×
PsychosesMS-DRG 885	$44,040	$14,279	3.1×
Endovascular cardiac valve replacement and supplement procedures without MCCMS-DRG 267	$221,241	$44,064	5×
Major small and large bowel procedures with CCMS-DRG 330	$119,020	$22,815	5.2×
Gastrointestinal obstruction with CCMS-DRG 389	$38,925	$7,916	4.9×
Circulatory disorders except ami, with cardiac catheterization with MCCMS-DRG 286	$112,267	$21,752	5.2×
Other kidney and urinary tract diagnoses with CCMS-DRG 699	$47,479	$10,420	4.6×
Esophagitis, gastroenteritis and miscellaneous digestive disorders with MCCMS-DRG 391	$61,028	$12,634	4.8×
Acute myocardial infarction, discharged alive with CCMS-DRG 281	$50,494	$8,869	5.7×
Percutaneous cardiovascular procedures with intraluminal device with MCC or 4+ arteries/intraluminal devicesMS-DRG 321	$163,668	$26,715	6.1×
Red blood cell disorders without MCCMS-DRG 812	$44,387	$9,315	4.8×
Respiratory infections and inflammations with CCMS-DRG 178	$45,313	$9,493	4.8×
Diabetes with CCMS-DRG 638	$41,674	$9,138	4.6×
Circulatory disorders except ami, with cardiac catheterization without MCCMS-DRG 287	$63,889	$10,451	6.1×
Other circulatory system diagnoses with MCCMS-DRG 314	$94,829	$20,716	4.6×
Cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders without CC/MCCMS-DRG 310	$28,728	$5,627	5.1×
Major small and large bowel procedures with MCCMS-DRG 329	$214,982	$43,388	5×
Other digestive system diagnoses with CCMS-DRG 394	$47,064	$9,479	5×
Respiratory system diagnosis with ventilator support <=96 hoursMS-DRG 208	$135,710	$25,293	5.4×
Pulmonary embolism with MCC or acute cor pulmonaleMS-DRG 175	$65,154	$13,354	4.9×
Red blood cell disorders with MCCMS-DRG 811	$68,165	$13,767	5×
Hip and femur procedures except major joint with MCCMS-DRG 480	$138,737	$26,010	5.3×
Diabetes with MCCMS-DRG 637	$66,501	$13,857	4.8×
Degenerative nervous system disorders without MCCMS-DRG 057	$56,625	$13,911	4.1×
Seizures without MCCMS-DRG 101	$48,759	$9,598	5.1×
Transient ischemia without thrombolyticMS-DRG 069	$50,445	$7,688	6.6×
Septicemia or severe sepsis with MV >96 hoursMS-DRG 870	$323,293	$64,425	5×
Endovascular cardiac valve replacement and supplement procedures with MCCMS-DRG 266	$284,878	$57,046	5×
Hypertension without MCCMS-DRG 305	$40,100	$7,334	5.5×

Source: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals — by Provider and Service, 2024 data, and CMS FY 2026 IPPS Final Rule (CMS-1833-F), Table 5. Both public federal datasets.

Frequently asked questions

What is an MS-DRG?

A Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group is the code that classifies an inpatient hospital stay by diagnosis, procedures performed and severity. There are 772 of them, and the group assigned to your stay determines what Medicare pays the hospital. It usually appears on an itemized hospital bill or an explanation of benefits.

Why is the amount billed so much higher than the amount paid?

Hospitals maintain a "chargemaster" list price that almost nobody actually pays. Insurers negotiate down from it, Medicare ignores it and pays a set rate per DRG, and self-pay patients are the only people ever asked for the full figure. That is precisely why a self-pay bill is negotiable.

Do you list CPT codes too?

No. CPT codes and their descriptions are copyrighted by the American Medical Association and require a paid licence to republish, so we do not reproduce them. MS-DRG codes are published by CMS and are in the public domain, which is why we can give you the full list free.

Are these figures what I will be charged?

No. They are averages across Medicare patients nationally in 2024, published by CMS. Your own bill depends on your insurance, the specific hospital and its discount and assistance policies. Use these figures as a documented benchmark in a written request, not as a price quote.