Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay)
Facility: Bristol Hospital
Billing Code: 451 (MS-DRG)
This hospital's typical commercial price is $50,283 compared to the $28,179 fair price benchmark.
2-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.78× fair market pricing.
On the higher side — 7 of 8 other CT hospitals charge less.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 CT hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
A fair price for a Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) is about $28,179 (about 1.2× the $23,504 Medicare rate). Bristol Hospital charges insurers about $50,283 — well above the fair price. Located in Bristol, CT.
This price is above the fair BaseRate — you may be able to pay less
Ask the hospital for the cash / self-pay price, check whether you qualify for financial assistance, or negotiate the bill down toward the fair price of about $28,179. Many patients pay well below the first number they’re quoted — the checklists below walk you through it.
What each insurance company pays
Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.
4 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital
Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.
| Insurance company | Price range | vs. Medicare |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcaremajor | $28,171 - $65,018 | 120% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $28,171 - $55,588 | 120% |
| Aetnamajor | $28,734 - $54,903 | 122% |
| Cignamajor | $50,283 | 214% |
| WellCare | $28,171 | 120% |
| + 3 smaller / regional plans | $28,171 - $73,888 |
Self-Pay How to get the cash price
Insurance Before you use insurance
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost
A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.
Other Procedures at Bristol Hospital
Compare: Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) at other CT hospitals
- The Hospital of Central Connecticut · New Britain $15,724
- Windham Community Memorial Hospital · Willimantic $16,050
- St Vincent's Medical Center · Bridgeport $21,665
- Hartford Hospital · Hartford $24,813
- Griffin Hospital · Derby $31,469
- Gaylord Hospital · Wallingford $32,806
- John Dempsey Hospital of the University of Connect · Farmington $46,406
- Saint Mary's Hospital · Waterbury $62,476
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.
Audit a Bill or Quote at Bristol Hospital (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $43,806
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $43,806).
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask Bristol Hospital's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.
Negotiate Toward $28,179 Fair BaseRate ($23,504 Medicare)
Your bill ($120,679) is $92,500 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($28,179) and 5.1× the $23,504 Medicare rate.
Clinical Quality, Patient Experience & Infection Benchmarks
Source: CMS Hospital Care Compare. Clinical quality metrics summarize historical facility-wide cohorts and are not medical advice for individual care decisions.
How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings
Verify the Raw Data: Official Hospital MRF, CMS Medicare.gov & Federal Filings
Safe-Harbor Data Corrections: Parsed directly from public 45 CFR § 180 hospital filings, CMS Care Compare, and CMS HCRIS cost reports. Hospital compliance officers may submit updated MRF URLs or rate tables for verification.