US Health Care Costs

Electrocardiogram (ECG), tracing only

CPT 93005 · 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 $261, and most charge between $79 and $1,215 (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

$261typical cash price
$205typical commercial insurer rate
$473typical list price
125hospitals in 32 states so far
Typical cash price by state
AKMEWIVTNHWA$207ID$296MTNDMN$44IL$319MI$81NY$208MA$251OR$286NV$2.0kWYSDIA$210IN$101OH$222PA$261NJ$75CT$232RICA$588UT$173CONE$106MO$240KY$174WVVA$227MD$32DE$318AZ$193NMKSARTN$78NC$303SC$680DCOK$71LAMSAL$203GA$246HITX$908FL$305PR

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$203$203$203$91
Arizona2$193$116$269$104
California10$588$104$2,129$128
Connecticut1$232$232$232–
Delaware1$318$318$318$274
Florida8$305$187$1,951$291
Georgia6$246$147$491$128
Iowa1$210$210$210$144
Idaho2$296$296$296$230
Illinois6$319$233$522$281
Indiana2$101$75$127$177
Kentucky2$174$109$239$161
Massachusetts3$251$211$251$219
Maryland1$32$32$32–
Michigan3$81$81$200$58
Minnesota1$44$44$44$85
Missouri4$240$195$344$331
North Carolina4$303$186$303$256
Nebraska1$106$106$106$147
New Jersey8$75$66$405$261
Nevada1$2,037$2,037$2,037$30
New York1$208$208$208$17
Ohio7$222$99$436$117
Oklahoma3$71$13$246$173
Oregon1$286$286$286$206
Pennsylvania8$261$67$404$193
South Carolina4$680$267$26,757$60
Tennessee2$78$78$78$115
Texas21$908$81$2,191$284
Utah2$173$164$182$180
Virginia6$227$227$974$201
Washington2$207$196$218$177
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 electrocardiogram (ECG), tracing only cost at a hospital?

At 122 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for electrocardiogram (ECG), tracing only is $261, and most charge between $79 and $1,215. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $205. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for electrocardiogram (ECG), tracing only?

At 31 of the 107 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