US Health Care Costs

Skin punch biopsy

CPT 11104 · Scopes and biopsies · hospital facility charge

At the 172 hospitals whose price files we have read so far, the typical cash price is $578, and most charge between $239 and $1,576 (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

$578typical cash price
$948typical commercial insurer rate
$980typical list price
172hospitals in 37 states so far
Typical cash price by state

Every state

StateHospitalsTypical cash priceLowest cashHighest cashTypical insurer price
Alabama1$315$315$315$181
Arizona2$389$112$666$404
California15$674$227$891$1,776
Colorado1$535$535$535$780
Connecticut1$1,405$1,405$1,405$101
Delaware1$736$736$736$1,888
Florida16$974$179$1,177$1,959
Georgia7$813$560$1,026$2,496
Iowa1$571$571$571$814
Idaho2$1,117$1,117$1,117$894
Illinois9$318$285$1,533$453
Indiana3$578$237$798$1,513
Kansas3–––$250
Kentucky2$1,604$1,604$1,604$762
Massachusetts4$449$275$716$195
Maryland2$1,038$1,018$1,058–
Michigan3$559$559$764$248
Minnesota1$148$148$148$600
Missouri6$435$187$1,668$430
Mississippi1$238$238$238$899
North Carolina6$397$216$460$467
Nebraska1$206$206$206$861
New Jersey10$563$442$6,839$1,175
Nevada1–––$1,706
New York3$1,432$693$1,665$1,194
Ohio10$642$375$863$1,627
Oklahoma3$355$268$786$552
Oregon1$784$784$784$849
Pennsylvania10$480$302$1,055$716
South Carolina4$181$181$181$402
South Dakota1$521$521$521$439
Tennessee3$361$361$361$996
Texas26$2,326$173$3,421$1,441
Utah2$385$342$428$398
Virginia7$394$394$394$1,832
Washington2$495$384$605$950
Wisconsin1$240$240$240$1,515
172 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 punch biopsy cost at a hospital?

At 125 hospitals that publish a cash price, the typical price for skin punch biopsy is $578, and most charge between $239 and $1,576. The typical rate commercial insurers have negotiated is $948. These are hospital prices; independent clinics, imaging centers and labs often charge less.

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

At 79 of the 120 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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