Techy SurgeonPrice AtlasInteractive atlas · All states · techysurgeon.com

Wisconsin: one knee, three prices

What Medicare pays Wisconsin hospitals and surgery centers for knee, hip and shoulder replacement, what hospitals list, and which cost the most and the least.

Surgery center
$8,881
Median Medicare knee rate, 31 orthopedic surgery centers
Hospital, same day
$11,897
Median Medicare allowed amount
Hospital, overnight
$14,377
Median avg total payment (incl. patient share), 20 hospitals

Wisconsin has a certificate-of-need program that does not cover surgery centers.

Zoom into Wisconsin on the mapBuild a Wisconsin report

Lowest average total payment per stay

HospitalCityInpatient avg total paymentList priceOutpatient allowed
Oakleaf Surgical HospitalAltoona$12,446$48,531$11,736
Froedtert West Bend HospitalWest Bend$12,488$77,587$11,815
Prohealth Oconomowoc Memorial HospitalOconomowoc$12,643$73,271$11,922
Marshfield Medical Center - WestonWeston$12,805$57,740$11,683
Orthopaedic Hospital of WisconsinGlendale$13,010$74,454$11,462
Midwest Orthopedic Specialty HospitalFranklin$13,197$52,364$11,733
Aspirus Wausau HospitalWausau$13,527$53,526$11,446
Aurora Medical CenterGrafton$13,880$95,081$11,769
Froedtert Menomonee Falls HospitalMenomonee Falls$14,207$83,461$11,800
Ssm Health St Mary's Hospital - MadisonMadison$14,316$59,690$12,129

Highest average total payment per stay

HospitalCityInpatient avg total paymentList priceOutpatient allowed
Froedtert Memorial Lutheran HospitalMilwaukee$25,382$136,288$12,068
University of Wi Hospitals & Clinics AuthorityMadison$20,018$69,609$12,187
Marshfield Medical CenterMarshfield$16,579$61,255$12,450
Ascension All Saints HospitalRacine$16,496$69,132$11,919
Aurora St Lukes Medical CenterMilwaukee$16,346$93,710$12,049
Froedtert Pleasant Prairie HospitalPleasant Prairie$15,926$87,993$12,360
Ascension Se Wisconsin Hospital - St Joseph CampusMilwaukee$15,741$58,884$11,672
Aurora West Allis Medical CenterWest Allis$14,780$98,416$11,663
Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau ClaireEau Claire$14,468$39,396$12,393
Thedacare Regional Medical Center - Appleton IncAppleton$14,438$40,101$11,568

Every Wisconsin hospital (57)

Orthopedic surgery centers (31)

Questions

How much does Medicare pay for a knee replacement in Wisconsin?

In 2024 the median average total payment to Wisconsin hospitals was $14,377 per Medicare inpatient hip or knee replacement stay (MS-DRG 470, 20 hospitals; Medicare's payment plus the patient's share), and the median Medicare allowed amount was $11,897 per outpatient case. An orthopedic surgery center is paid about $8,881 for a knee.

Which Wisconsin hospitals have the lowest Medicare payment for a joint replacement?

Oakleaf Surgical Hospital ($12,446), Froedtert West Bend Hospital ($12,488), Prohealth Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital ($12,643) (average total payment per inpatient stay, patient share included).

What do Wisconsin hospitals list for a joint replacement?

The median list (chargemaster) price is $69,371, about 4.8× the median average total payment for a Medicare stay.

Does Wisconsin have a certificate-of-need law?

Wisconsin has a certificate-of-need program that does not cover surgery centers. No general CON; state approval is required only for nursing home and ICF/IID bed capacity.