CMS Price Transparency Data

Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay)

Facility: Bronson Methodist Hospital

Billing Code: 451 (MS-DRG)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$28,678

about 1.2× the $23,504 Medicare rate · typically $25,642–$35,679

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$25,421

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $3,257 under the fair price · 1.1× Medicare

Medicare pays $23,504 Fair price $28,678 This hospital $25,421

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other MI hospitals

Highest price of the 9 MI hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.

Cheapest $14,842 Priciest $25,421

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 MI hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

A fair price for a Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) is about $28,678 (about 1.2× the $23,504 Medicare rate). Bronson Methodist Hospital charges insurers about $25,421 — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in Kalamazoo, MI.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

3 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna CignaHumanaKaiser Permanente

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	$25,421	108%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$25,421	108%
Aetnamajor	$26,437	112%
Meridian	$26,692	114%
Priority Health	$25,421	108%
+ 6 smaller / regional plans	$24,150 - $31,776

Government programs also on file: Medicare.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price, before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the MS-DRG code on your bill matches exactly: 451.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Bronson Methodist Hospital is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for MS-DRG code 451.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Bronson Methodist Hospital

Compare: Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) at other MI hospitals

Beacon Plainwell · Plainwell $14,842
Ascension River District Hospital · East China $20,415
Henry Ford Health West Bloomfield Hospital · W Bloomfield $22,002
Henry Ford Macomb Hospital · Clinton Township $22,412
Surgeons Choice Medical Center · Southfield $22,444
Wyandotte Hospital and Medical Center · Wyandotte $22,552
Henry Ford Allegiance Health · Jackson $22,628
Corewell Health Watervliet Hospital · Watervliet $23,160

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.