A comparative look at Medicare data gathered from over 7 million discharges for the top 100 Diagnosis Related Groups reveals significant differences in cost among various states.

• At $13,150.05, the most expensive state for Medicare is Maryland; at $7810.72, the least expensive is Alabama.
• Maryland also has the least difference between what hospitals charge in general and what they get paid by Medicare.
• Based on data from CMS, the average cost for an inpatient discharge is $38,920.29, compared to $9,593.21 paid by Medicare.