US Health Care Costs

Breathing treatment (nebulizer)

CPT 94640 · Heart, lung and nerve tests · hospital facility charge

At the 125 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $231, and most charge between $92 and $689 (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

$231typical cash price
$261typical commercial insurer rate
$391typical list price
125hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$366$366$366$285
Arizona2$307$304$311$342
California10$227$95$687$361
Connecticut1$179$179$179$260
Delaware1$286$286$286$1,017
Florida8$269$92$761$106
Georgia6$321$90$379$288
Iowa1$235$235$235$438
Idaho2$463$463$463$380
Illinois6$199$120$715$208
Indiana2$84$27$142$197
Kentucky2$424$31$817$278
Massachusetts3$347$94$347$246
Maryland1$749$749$749–
Michigan3$301$301$394$160
Minnesota1$83$83$83$185
Missouri4$219$22$238$215
North Carolina4$84$84$156$88
Nebraska1$93$93$93$192
New Jersey8$261$133$12,653$431
Nevada1$1,154$1,154$1,154$35
New York1$213$213$213$25
Ohio7$161$147$608$481
Oklahoma3$202$85$480$432
Oregon1$359$359$359$386
Pennsylvania8$202$68$401$259
South Carolina4$245$110$31,046$69
Tennessee2$57$57$57$330
Texas21$240$74$1,557$344
Utah2$104$96$112$108
Virginia6$159$159$409$548
Washington2$398$211$586$620
125 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 breathing treatment (nebulizer) cost at a hospital?

At 122 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for breathing treatment (nebulizer) is $231, and most charge between $92 and $689. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $261. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for breathing treatment (nebulizer)?

At 55 of the 106 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.

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