US Trends

how much is a colonoscopy

A colonoscopy in the U.S. typically costs around the low thousands of dollars, but what you pay can range from $0 to several thousand depending on insurance, location, and why you’re getting it done.

Quick Scoop: Typical Price Range

  • Without insurance, many sources put the overall price range for a colonoscopy around 1,250–4,800 USD or more , with national averages roughly 2,400–2,750 USD.
  • Some cash-price calculators list “market average” cash prices a bit lower, starting around 1,100–1,600 USD for certain basic colonoscopy codes, especially in lower-cost outpatient settings.
  • The exact amount can change a lot based on:
    • Hospital vs. ambulatory surgery center (ASC) or office
    • City and state
    • Anesthesia type
    • Whether biopsies or polyp removal are done

Think of it like booking a flight: the headline “colonoscopy price” hides a lot of add‑ons (facility fee, doctor fee, anesthesia, lab).

With Insurance: When It Can Be “Free”

For many people with commercial insurance in the U.S., a screening colonoscopy (routine check when you have no symptoms, usually starting at age 45 or 50) is treated as preventive care.

  • Under many ACA-compliant plans, a preventive screening colonoscopy is often covered at no patient cost (no copay, no coinsurance), as long as:
    • It’s coded as preventive screening.
    • You’re in the recommended age/risk group.
    • You use in‑network providers and facilities.
  • If the scope starts as “screening” but the doctor finds and removes polyps, some insurers may recode it as diagnostic , which can trigger deductibles or coinsurance.

For people on Medicare , a screening colonoscopy is also considered preventive under Part B and can be fully covered at specific intervals, especially if you’re at higher risk for colorectal cancer.

Without Insurance: What People Actually Pay

Without insurance, the “list price” often lands in that 1,250–4,800+ USD range, but there are ways to end up on the lower side.

  • A health‑cost analysis site lists:
    • National average around 2,750 USD.
    • “Target fair price” around 2,450 USD as a reasonable cash goal.
  • Some example ranges by large U.S. cities (facility fees only, not guaranteed totals):
* Atlanta: ~925–3,000 USD
* Los Angeles: ~1,400–4,600 USD
* New York City: ~1,100–3,700 USD

Online cost tools and some insurers’ price calculators show that outpatient centers/ASCs tend to be cheaper than hospital outpatient departments for the same CPT codes.

What Drives the Cost Up or Down

Here are the main pieces that make up the final bill:

  1. Facility fee
    • Hospital outpatient department (usually most expensive).
    • Ambulatory surgery center or office (often cheaper).
  1. Physician (gastroenterologist) fee
    • The specialist performing the procedure bills separately.
  2. Anesthesia
    • Light sedation vs. “deep sedation”/propofol with an anesthesia provider can add hundreds of dollars.
  1. Pathology and lab
    • If they remove polyps or take biopsies, each specimen can have an additional lab charge.
  1. Pre‑ and post‑procedure visits
    • Consultation, follow‑up, and any required tests or imaging can add to the total.

Because of these moving parts, two people in the same city can see very different bills.

Real‑World Forum Vibes (What People Say They Paid)

In online colonoscopy discussion forums, U.S. posters report a wide spread of out‑of‑pocket costs, from a few hundred dollars with good insurance to several thousand when out of network or uninsured.

One recurring theme: people are often shocked when they assumed “screening = free,” only to discover that polyp removal or diagnostic coding flipped it into a billable event with deductibles and coinsurance.

These anecdotal stories are messy, but they match the general pattern: coding + setting + insurance details decide whether it’s “no bill” or a painful surprise.

Quick HTML Table: Typical U.S. Colonoscopy Costs

Below is a simple HTML table summarizing some typical figures:

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Scenario</th>
      <th>Typical Patient Cost (USD)</th>
      <th>Notes</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Screening colonoscopy, good commercial insurance</td>
      <td>$0</td>
      <td>Often covered as preventive if coded as screening and in-network.[web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Screening colonoscopy, Medicare (average risk)</td>
      <td>$0 for covered screening</td>
      <td>Preventive under Part B at defined intervals.[web:7]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Diagnostic colonoscopy with insurance</td>
      <td>From copay-only to thousands</td>
      <td>Subject to deductible and coinsurance if coded as diagnostic or if polyps removed.[web:1][web:3]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Uninsured, national average</td>
      <td>≈ $2,400–$2,750</td>
      <td>Reported national averages; fair cash target ≈ $2,450.[web:1][web:2][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Uninsured, typical range</td>
      <td>≈ $1,250–$4,800+</td>
      <td>Depends heavily on facility type, city, and added services.[web:1][web:2]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Cash prices via some cost tools</td>
      <td>≈ $1,100–$1,600+</td>
      <td>Lower-end “market average” for certain procedure codes and locations.[web:4]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Mini Story: How Two People Get Very Different Bills

  • Alex goes for a routine screening at age 50, uses an in‑network ASC, has no symptoms, and no polyps are removed.
    • The procedure is coded as preventive, and Alex’s ACA-compliant plan pays the full amount. Alex pays 0 USD.
  • Jordan has intermittent bleeding, so the doctor orders a diagnostic colonoscopy at a hospital outpatient department. Polyps are removed and sent to pathology.
    • The “headline” price is around 3,500 USD, and Jordan’s high‑deductible plan hasn’t been met yet. After insurer adjustments, Jordan still pays around 1,800 USD out of pocket.

Same test, very different scenarios.

How to Get a More Precise Number for You

If you’re trying to estimate your own cost, these steps usually help:

  1. Call the GI clinic or hospital and ask for:
    • Their self-pay/cash price for a colonoscopy (CPT code often 45378–45385, depending on details).
  2. Ask if they have package pricing that includes:
    • Facility, doctor, anesthesia, and pathology.
  3. Contact your insurer and ask for:
    • Your cost estimate for a screening vs diagnostic colonoscopy at a named facility, and what happens if polyps are removed.

Because pricing is so fragmented in 2026, that direct info is the only way to know your personal number with confidence.

TL;DR:

  • Sticker price: roughly 1,250–4,800+ USD , average around 2,400–2,750 USD in the U.S.
  • With good insurance and a true preventive screening, your cost can be 0 USD.
  • With no insurance or diagnostic coding, expect to pay hundreds to a few thousand dollars , depending on where and how it’s done.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.