US Health Care Costs

Blood transfusion

CPT 36430 · Infusions, shots and treatments · hospital facility charge

At the 126 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $1,061, and most charge between $523 and $3,079 (the middle 80%; price files contain errors, so the extremes are left out). Pick a state to compare its hospitals.

Estimate what you would pay

$1,061typical cash price
$1,380typical commercial insurer rate
$2,090typical list price
126hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWA$1.4kID$1.2kMTNDMN$223IL$1.3kMI$607NY$2.2kMA$1.3kOR$1.7kNV$1.5kWYSDIA$588IN$642OH$1.6kPA$748NJ$858CT$1.2kRICA$2.1kUT$921CONE$474MO$855KY$1.4kWVVA$806MD$1.9kDE$919AZ$1.7kNMKSARTN$693NC$769SC$1.1kDCOK$1.5kLAMSAL$679GA$1.7kHITX$2.4kFL$1.3kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$679$679$679$326
Arizona2$1,731$496$2,966$1,013
California11$2,087$254$4,770$1,662
Connecticut1$1,200$1,200$1,200–
Delaware1$919$919$919$2,049
Florida8$1,280$783$2,209$1,274
Georgia6$1,678$702$5,171$1,981
Iowa1$588$588$588$883
Idaho2$1,224$1,224$1,224$979
Illinois6$1,310$1,045$2,522$1,532
Indiana2$642$623$662$1,429
Kentucky2$1,437$1,119$1,755$1,566
Massachusetts3$1,292$895$1,292$1,051
Maryland1$1,893$1,893$1,893–
Michigan3$607$607$2,401$560
Minnesota1$223$223$223$549
Missouri4$855$656$2,216$1,361
North Carolina4$769$769$858$762
Nebraska1$474$474$474$691
New Jersey8$858$484$3,786$2,090
Nevada1$1,457$1,457$1,457$1,706
New York1$2,189$2,189$2,189$517
Ohio7$1,634$523$1,901$2,304
Oklahoma3$1,522$799$2,670$1,226
Oregon1$1,725$1,725$1,725$1,409
Pennsylvania8$748$498$1,942$687
South Carolina4$1,061$1,023$2,240$458
Tennessee2$693$693$693$865
Texas21$2,384$416$4,772$1,408
Utah2$921$831$1,011$969
Virginia6$806$806$6,355$1,858
Washington2$1,370$1,083$1,658$1,307
126 hospitals so far: only hospitals whose price files we've read are listed, and more are added every night. The price is the hospital's part; the doctor usually bills separately.

Common questions

How much does blood transfusion cost at a hospital?

At 120 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for blood transfusion is $1,061, and most charge between $523 and $3,079. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $1,380. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for blood transfusion?

At 58 of the 114 hospitals that publish both, the cash price is lower than the typical insurer rate. Remember that with insurance you pay only your share of that rate once your deductible is met, and that cash payments usually don't count toward your deductible.

Does the price include the doctor?

No. These are the hospital's own charges, often called the facility fee. The doctors involved, such as the surgeon, the anesthesiologist or the radiologist who reads a scan, usually send a separate bill.

Before you go