Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay)
Facility: Univ. of Vermont - Fletcher Allen Health Care
Billing Code: 451 (MS-DRG)
This hospital's typical commercial price is $38,498 compared to the $29,514 fair price benchmark.
4-Star CMS clinical quality rating paired with 1.30× fair market pricing.
On the higher side — 2 of 3 other VT hospitals charge less.
Black dot = this hospital, among the 4 VT hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.
A fair price for a Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) is about $29,514 (about 1.3× the $23,504 Medicare rate). Univ. of Vermont - Fletcher Allen Health Care charges insurers about $38,498 — above the fair price. Located in Burlington, VT.
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 $29,514. 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 | $30,798 - $109,365 | 131% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor | $30,798 - $87,207 | 131% |
| Aetnamajor | $30,798 | 131% |
| Cignamajor | $85,282 | 363% |
| Fidelis Care | $38,498 | 164% |
| MVP Health Care | $31,568 - $72,317 | 134% |
| + 3 smaller / regional plans | $30,798 - $80,853 |
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 Univ. of Vermont - Fletcher Allen Health Care
Compare: Spinal fusion, single level (inpatient stay) at other VT hospitals
- Brattleboro Memorial Hospital · Brattleboro $34,369
- Central Vermont Medical Center · Barre $36,264
- Porter Hospital Inc · Middlebury $38,581
Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.
Audit a Bill or Quote at Univ. of Vermont - Fletcher Allen Health Care (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $33,539
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 = $33,539).
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask Univ. of Vermont - Fletcher Allen Health Care'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 $29,514 Fair BaseRate ($23,504 Medicare)
Your bill ($92,395) is $62,881 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($29,514) and 3.9× 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.