US Health Care Costs

ERCP (bile duct scope)

CPT 43260 · Scopes and biopsies · hospital facility charge

At the 165 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $4,576, and most charge between $1,109 and $11,441 (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

$4,576typical cash price
$4,712typical commercial insurer rate
$7,181typical list price
165hospitals in 36 states so far
Typical cash price by state

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1––––
Arizona1–––$3,039
California15$3,512$1,354$5,886$7,042
Colorado1$3,545$3,545$3,545$4,061
Connecticut1$18,656$18,656$18,656–
Delaware1$5,702$5,702$5,702$17,904
Florida16$3,045$1,173$14,219$7,501
Georgia7$1,829$1,410$4,770$4,579
Iowa1–––$9,824
Idaho2$8,663$8,663$8,663$7,147
Illinois7$18,203$3,555$51,422$5,069
Indiana2–––$10,202
Kansas2–––$2,905
Kentucky2$15,277$15,277$15,277$5,921
Massachusetts4$5,300$4,733$9,966$5,214
Michigan3$5,301$5,301$5,301$2,537
Minnesota1$1,402$1,402$1,402$4,506
Missouri6$6,029$2,993$10,830$2,528
Mississippi1$3,011$3,011$3,011$8,528
North Carolina6$2,620$2,620$2,620$3,877
Nebraska1$2,291$2,291$2,291$4,779
New Jersey10$5,032$3,786$6,839$4,838
Nevada1–––$2,482
New York3$8,138$4,576$11,700$3,295
Ohio10$8,625$1,635$11,376$8,387
Oklahoma3$5,665$3,898$7,433$4,274
Oregon1$7,616$7,616$7,616$8,263
Pennsylvania9$4,555$4,351$8,193$3,726
South Carolina5$13,395$13,395$13,395$2,760
South Dakota1–––$316
Tennessee3$1,996$1,996$1,996$3,122
Texas26$667$667$9,620$3,816
Utah2–––$3,461
Virginia7–––$11,192
Washington2–––$10,556
Wisconsin1–––$7,465
165 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 ERCP (bile duct scope) cost at a hospital?

At 79 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for ERCP (bile duct scope) is $4,576, and most charge between $1,109 and $11,441. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $4,712. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for ERCP (bile duct scope)?

At 41 of the 74 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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