CMS Price Transparency Data

Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay)

Facility: Mercy Hospital St Louis

Billing Code: 451 (MS-DRG)

The BaseRate · fair price high confidence

A fair price for this

$26,005

about 1.1× the $23,504 Medicare rate · typically $20,837–$34,357

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$31,784

Above the fair price

about $5,779 over the fair price · 1.4× Medicare

Medicare pays $23,504 Fair price $26,005 This hospital $31,784 Cash price $46,846 Hospital's list price $72,070

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other MO hospitals

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

Cheapest $12,941 Priciest $31,784

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

A fair price for a Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) is about $26,005 (about 1.1× the $23,504 Medicare rate). Mercy Hospital St Louis charges insurers about $31,784, or about $46,846 in cash — above the fair price. Located in Saint Louis, MO.

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 $26,005. 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.

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

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana Kaiser 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	$24,774 - $41,511	105%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$14,777 - $60,408	63%
Aetnamajor	$3,731 - $40,558	16%
Cignamajor	$24,774 - $42,825	105%
Humanamajor	$24,774	105%
Ambetter (Centene)	$3,478	15%
HealthLink	$3,944 - $47,018	17%
Medica	$27,500	117%
+ 32 smaller / regional plans	$3,478 - $55,976

Government programs also on file: Medicare, Medicaid, Military & VA.

Excludes 5 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

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 (about 46,846), 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 Mercy Hospital St Louis 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 Mercy Hospital St Louis

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

Cass Regional Medical Center · Harrisonville $12,941
The Children's Mercy Hospital · Kansas City $15,120
Cox Barton County Hospital · Lamar $23,161
Boone Hospital Center · Columbia $23,941
SSM St Clare Health Center · Fenton $24,333
Mercy Hospital Joplin · Joplin $25,001
Cox Monett Hospital · Monett $25,161
Saint Francis Medical Center · Cape Girardeau $25,476

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