healthcosts.net
Codes & billing
Inpatient vs. outpatient
Inpatient means you're formally admitted and stay overnight under a doctor's order; outpatient means you're treated and released the same day — and they're billed very differently.
Example
The same knee surgery might be billed as an outpatient procedure at $9,500, or as an inpatient DRG-based stay at $22,000 if complications require an overnight admission.