US Health Care Costs

Skin biopsy

CPT 11102 · Scopes and biopsies · hospital facility charge

At the 163 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $480, and most charge between $215 and $1,119 (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

$480typical cash price
$903typical commercial insurer rate
$745typical list price
163hospitals in 36 states so far
Typical cash price by state

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$315$315$315$181
Arizona1$636$636$636$659
California11$307$247$532$4,583
Colorado1$396$396$396$588
Delaware1$753$753$753$1,888
Florida16$484$179$942$1,950
Georgia7$708$560$780$1,875
Iowa1$571$571$571$814
Idaho2$556$556$556$445
Illinois9$306$288$820$410
Indiana2$235$49$422$1,771
Kansas3–––$196
Kentucky2$798$798$798$645
Massachusetts3$449$449$641$220
Maryland1$1,058$1,058$1,058–
Michigan3$559$559$803$152
Minnesota1$123$123$123$379
Missouri6$327$198$824$637
Mississippi1$239$239$239$899
North Carolina6$173$82$216$229
Nebraska1$206$206$206$663
New Jersey10$380$220$6,839$902
Nevada1–––$1,706
New York3$864$515$1,364$1,178
Ohio10$439$179$863$1,627
Oklahoma3$633$370$896$801
Oregon1$770$770$770$646
Pennsylvania10$470$302$1,055$716
South Carolina4–––$402
South Dakota1$423$423$423$291
Tennessee3$148$148$148$996
Texas26$2,326$88$3,421$1,572
Utah2–––$208
Virginia7$357$357$357$1,832
Washington2$388$236$539$855
Wisconsin1$240$240$240$1,515
163 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 skin biopsy cost at a hospital?

At 109 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for skin biopsy is $480, and most charge between $215 and $1,119. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $903. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

Is it cheaper to pay cash or use insurance for skin biopsy?

At 74 of the 105 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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