US Health Care Costs

EEG (brain wave test)

CPT 95816 · Heart, lung and nerve tests · hospital facility charge

At the 127 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $920, and most charge between $345 and $3,433 (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

$920typical cash price
$821typical commercial insurer rate
$1,663typical list price
127hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWA$1.1kID$1.5kMTNDMN$168IL$878MI$297NY$1.0kMA$1.5kOR$891NV$2.6kWYSDIA$1.2kIN$478OH$676PA$814NJ$356CT$1.4kRICA$1.1kUT$570CONE$557MO$877KY$895WVVA$537MD$511DE$971AZ$937NMKSARTN$274NC$863SC$1.0kDCOK$804LAMSAL$1.0kGA$777HITX$2.9kFL$1.4kPR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$1,045$1,045$1,045$542
Arizona2$937$405$1,468$408
California11$1,078$219$4,675$430
Connecticut1$1,449$1,449$1,449–
Delaware1$971$971$971$1,003
Florida8$1,412$583$6,544$994
Georgia6$777$441$1,666$542
Iowa1$1,156$1,156$1,156$550
Idaho2$1,464$1,464$1,464$1,165
Illinois6$878$758$1,617$982
Indiana2$478$418$539$1,110
Kentucky2$895$540$1,250$746
Massachusetts3$1,523$495$1,523$778
Maryland1$511$511$511–
Michigan3$297$297$2,517$861
Minnesota1$168$168$168$457
Missouri4$877$626$1,050$1,065
North Carolina4$863$807$863$855
Nebraska1$557$557$557$749
New Jersey8$356$234$416$860
Nevada1$2,564$2,564$2,564$693
New York1$1,017$1,017$1,017$481
Ohio7$676$255$3,798$478
Oklahoma3$804$432$1,168$615
Oregon1$891$891$891$852
Pennsylvania9$814$244$2,590$714
South Carolina4$1,004$830$3,921$302
Tennessee2$274$274$274$681
Texas21$2,889$299$8,962$955
Utah2$570$507$634$589
Virginia6$537$537$2,829$751
Washington2$1,101$782$1,421$738
127 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 EEG (brain wave test) cost at a hospital?

At 120 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for EEG (brain wave test) is $920, and most charge between $345 and $3,433. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $821. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for EEG (brain wave test)?

At 44 of the 104 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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