Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay)
Facility: Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Billing Code: 451 (MS-DRG)
This hospital's typical commercial price is $33,963 compared to the $27,289 fair price benchmark.
4-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.24× fair market pricing.
Highest price of the 9 PA hospitals we have prices for — worth calling around.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 PA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
A fair price for a Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) is about $27,289 (about 1.2× the $23,504 Medicare rate). Milton S Hershey Medical Center charges insurers about $33,963 — above the fair price. Located in Hershey, PA.
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 $27,289. 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
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 | $34,642 - $87,379 | 147% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $33,624 - $65,035 | 143% |
| Aetnamajor | $33,963 - $75,336 | 144% |
| Cignamajor | $88,668 | 377% |
| Humanamajor | $34,303 | 146% |
| AmeriHealth | $33,963 | 144% |
| Cigna HealthSpring | $34,303 | 146% |
| Geisinger | $33,963 | 144% |
| HealthPartners | $34,642 | 147% |
| UPMC Health Plan | $35,665 | 152% |
| + 2 smaller / regional plans | $34,982 - $42,454 |
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 Milton S Hershey Medical Center
Compare: Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) at other PA hospitals
- Independence Health System Butler Memorial Hospita · Butler $11,459
- Geisinger-Bloomsburg Hospital · Bloomsburg $21,593
- Advanced Surgical Hospital · Washington $22,477
- Allegheny Valley Hospital · Natrona $22,528
- Canonsburg General Hospital · Canonsburg $22,545
- Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center · Lancaster $22,668
- Meadville Medical Center · Meadville $23,056
- Ahn Wexford Hospital · Wexford $23,107
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.
Audit a Bill or Quote at Milton S Hershey Medical Center (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $29,588
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 = $29,588).
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask Milton S Hershey Medical Center'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 $27,289 Fair BaseRate ($23,504 Medicare)
Your bill ($81,511) is $54,222 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($27,289) and 3.5× 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.