Watauga Medical Center Medicare inpatient and outpatient services

Every DRG and outpatient service group CMS publishes for Watauga Medical Center, Boone, NC in 2024, from traditional Medicare claims. Back to the Watauga Medical Center profile, with quality ratings, finances and negotiated rates.

592
Medicare inpatient discharges
In 26 published DRGs
1.62
Case mix index
IPPS FY 2027
21%
Surgical stays
66%
Stays with complications
In DRGs with a CC or MCC
1,457
Medicare outpatient services
In 25 service groups

Inpatient stays by major diagnostic category

Circulatory system143 discharges in 6 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Heart failure and shock with MCCMS-DRG 291, medical	54	$22,548	$10,432	$8,681	1.28
Cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders with CCMS-DRG 309, medical	22	$16,567	$5,629	$6,378	0.74
Circulatory disorders except AMI, with cardiac catheterization without MCCMS-DRG 287, medical	19	$31,964	$8,515	$12,306	1.08
Percutaneous cardiovascular procedures with intraluminal device without MCCMS-DRG 322, surgical	19	$57,369	$15,022	$22,087	1.82
Cardiac arrhythmia and conduction disorders with MCCMS-DRG 308, medical	17	$24,690	$9,598	$9,505	1.20
Acute myocardial infarction, discharged alive with MCCMS-DRG 280, medical	12	$37,695	$13,019	$14,513	1.59

Respiratory system142 discharges in 7 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with MCCMS-DRG 193, medical	35	$27,936	$10,062	$10,755	1.33
Respiratory infections and inflammations with MCCMS-DRG 177, medical	34	$35,580	$14,213	$13,698	1.70
Simple pneumonia and pleurisy with CCMS-DRG 194, medical	19	$17,257	$5,851	$6,644	0.82
Respiratory infections and inflammations with CCMS-DRG 178, medical	16	$25,682	$7,807	$9,887	0.99
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with MCCMS-DRG 190, medical	14	$29,962	$8,801	$11,536	1.10
Pulmonary edema and respiratory failureMS-DRG 189, medical	12	$36,319	$10,087	$13,983	1.23
Respiratory system diagnosis with ventilator support <=96 hoursMS-DRG 208, medical	12	$118,069	$23,637	$45,457	2.70

Musculoskeletal system and connective tissue104 discharges in 4 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Major hip and knee joint replacement or reattachment of lower extremity without MCCMS-DRG 470, surgical	46	$54,819	$15,441	$21,105	1.88
Hip and femur procedures except major joint with CCMS-DRG 481, surgical	23	$55,186	$16,025	$21,247	2.07
Hip replacement with principal diagnosis of hip fracture without MCCMS-DRG 522, surgical	23	$53,118	$17,657	$20,450	2.11
Major joint or limb reattachment procedures of upper extremitiesMS-DRG 483, surgical	12	$82,826	$21,162	$31,888	2.48

Infectious and parasitic diseases78 discharges in 1 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Septicemia or severe sepsis without MV >96 hours with MCCMS-DRG 871, medical	78	$37,413	$16,589	$14,404	1.98

Kidney and urinary tract46 discharges in 3 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Kidney and urinary tract infections without MCCMS-DRG 690, medical	16	$20,123	$5,958	$7,747	0.81
Other kidney and urinary tract diagnoses with MCCMS-DRG 698, medical	16	$28,683	$13,987	$11,043	1.65
Kidney and urinary tract infections with MCCMS-DRG 689, medical	14	$20,211	$9,443	$7,781	1.17

Digestive system29 discharges in 2 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Esophagitis, gastroenteritis and miscellaneous digestive disorders without MCCMS-DRG 392, medical	15	$24,304	$5,713	$9,357	0.79
Gastrointestinal hemorrhage with CCMS-DRG 378, medical	14	$24,183	$7,902	$9,310	0.98

Nervous system23 discharges in 1 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Intracranial hemorrhage or cerebral infarction with CC or tpa in 24 hoursMS-DRG 065, medical	23	$27,722	$7,620	$10,673	1.02

Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic16 discharges in 1 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Miscellaneous disorders of nutrition, metabolism, fluids and electrolytes without MCCMS-DRG 641, medical	16	$15,296	$5,799	$5,889	0.78

Skin, subcutaneous tissue and breast11 discharges in 1 DRGs

Condition or procedure	Discharges	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	Estimated cost	DRG weight
Cellulitis without MCCMS-DRG 603, medical	11	$19,753	$6,560	$7,605	0.88

Source: CMS Medicare Inpatient Hospitals by Provider and Service (2024 data, released 2026-04-10), traditional Medicare only; CMS omits DRGs with fewer than 11 discharges. Estimated cost is average charges times the hospital's Medicare cost-to-charge ratio from the IPPS Impact File. Weights are the MS-DRG relative weights for the same year.

Outpatient services

Service group	Services	Patients	Average charges	Average Medicare payment	US average payment
Level 5 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5115	247	234	$45,451	$10,531	$10,772
Level 1 Intraocular ProceduresAPC 5491	200	115	$7,519	$1,696	$1,752
Comprehensive Observation ServicesAPC 8011	186	181	$11,134	$2,000	$2,090
Level 2 Upper GI ProceduresAPC 5302	89	87	$10,902	$1,376	$1,445
Level 4 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5114	83	83	$32,920	$5,312	$5,339
Level 2 Excision/ Biopsy/ Incision and DrainageAPC 5072	75	72	$9,927	$1,203	$1,220
Level 1 Endovascular ProceduresAPC 5191	64	64	$19,054	$2,183	$2,208
Level 4 Urology and Related ServicesAPC 5374	64	54	$14,962	$2,568	$2,629
Level 1 Laparoscopy and Related ServicesAPC 5361	61	61	$25,436	$4,214	$4,358
Level 5 Urology and Related ServicesAPC 5375	50	44	$24,128	$3,689	$3,918
Level 6 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5116	43	42	$63,839	$15,699	$15,763
Level 3 Urology and Related ServicesAPC 5373	32	17	$6,857	$1,510	$1,516
Level 3 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5113	31	31	$19,781	$2,402	$2,373
Level 3 Vascular ProceduresAPC 5183	31	31	$14,674	$2,367	$2,405
Level 1 Nerve ProceduresAPC 5431	27	26	$11,992	$1,434	$1,407
Level 1 Abdominal/Peritoneal/Biliary and Related ProceduresAPC 5341	24	23	$18,927	$2,569	$2,636
Level 2 Musculoskeletal ProceduresAPC 5112	21	21	$7,285	$1,193	$1,196
Level 3 Pacemaker and Similar ProceduresAPC 5223	21	21	$27,995	$8,312	$8,569
Level 4 Airway EndoscopyAPC 5154	18	18	$21,209	$2,626	$2,833
Level 5 Airway EndoscopyAPC 5155	18	18	$34,381	$5,082	$5,183
Level 2 Vascular ProceduresAPC 5182	17	17	$7,634	$1,189	$1,204
Level 2 Breast/Lymphatic Surgery and Related ProceduresAPC 5092	15	15	$39,118	$4,842	$4,982
Level 3 Endovascular ProceduresAPC 5193	14	13	$43,257	$7,997	$8,874
Level 3 Extraocular, Repair, and Plastic Eye ProceduresAPC 5503	14	14	$13,336	$1,735	$1,780
Level 2 Pacemaker and Similar ProceduresAPC 5222	12	12	$37,710	$6,309	$6,514

Source: CMS Medicare Outpatient Hospitals by Provider and Service (2024 data, released 2026-06-24), comprehensive APCs for traditional Medicare; CMS omits services with fewer than 11 claims. The US average weights every hospital by its services.