Athens, AL 35611 · CMS Certification Number 010079. What Medicare pays this hospital for knee, hip and shoulder replacement, what it lists, how it compares, and what a surgery center nearby is paid.
| Operation | Inpatient paid | List price | List ÷ paid | Outpatient allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hip or knee replacement | $12,802 | $35,852 | 2.8× | $9,898 |
| Shoulder replacement | — | — | — | $15,014 |
| Hip replacement after a fracture (DRG 522) | $13,995 | $36,913 | 2.6× | — |
Complications after hip or knee replacement: 3.1% (no different from the national rate). Readmissions: 4.7%. Overall Care Compare rating: 2 of 5 stars. Government · Acute · 71 beds
Alabama requires a certificate of need for new surgery centers.
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In 2024 Medicare paid Athens Limestone Hospital an average of $12,802 per inpatient hip or knee replacement stay (MS-DRG 470, 68 stays) and $9,898 per outpatient case (APC 5115, 66 cases).
The hospital's average list (chargemaster) price for an inpatient hip or knee replacement was $35,852, 2.8× what Medicare paid. Almost nobody pays the list price; it matters for uninsured bills and percent-of-charge contracts.
Yes for Medicare facility payments. Madison Surgery Center, LLC, an orthopedic surgery center 19.6 mi away, is paid about $8,136 by Medicare for a knee replacement (CPT 27447), $4,666 less than an inpatient stay at Athens Limestone Hospital. Not every patient is a surgery-center candidate.
Medicare paid Athens Limestone Hospital less than 83% of the 24 Alabama hospitals that report inpatient hip or knee replacement.