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Colonoscopy Cost in the USA: Cash Price vs Insurance Price

Compare cash and insurance pricing for a colonoscopy, with the screening-vs-diagnostic distinction that determines whether the procedure is covered as ACA preventive care at no patient cost.

Peter Langdon · TreatCompare editor — healthcare price research

Important information for US visitors

This page is general consumer information about US hospital price-transparency data and shoppable-service pricing. It is not insurance advice, billing advice, legal advice, tax advice, or medical advice, and it is not a substitute for an insurance broker, patient advocate, certified medical biller, or attorney. The cash-vs-insurance calculator produces scenario estimates only, based on numbers you enter; an actual bill depends on your plan, network status, prior authorisation, separate professional and facility fees, and the specific procedure code billed. Please verify any quoted price and your estimated patient responsibility directly with your provider and your insurer before booking care.

Could paying cash for a colonoscopy be lower-cost than using insurance?

Paying cash for an Colonoscopy can be lower-cost than using insurance when the cash quote is below your likely patient responsibility under insurance. The key comparison is not cash price vs sticker price; it is cash price vs your deductible, coinsurance, copay and out-of-pocket maximum.

See if cash or insurance is lower-cost for your Colonoscopy

Enter your cash quote and insurance plan numbers — get a scenario estimate in under a minute.

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Screening vs diagnostic

Critical

A screening colonoscopy may be a $0 ACA-preventive service; a diagnostic colonoscopy is not.

Key billing code

CPT code

The CPT code changes whether the procedure is treated as screening or diagnostic.

Main hidden issue

Polyp removal

A screening colonoscopy can be re-coded if polyps are removed, shifting cost back to the patient.

Decision tool

Should I pay cash or use insurance for a Colonoscopy?

Enter your quote and plan numbers. The result estimates today's payment and flags the deductible trade-off.

Estimate, not a bill

Cash route

$1,750

Insurance estimate

$1,280

Current signal

Insurance looks lower-cost by $470

This is a simple estimate. It does not verify network status, prior authorization, separate radiologist bills, contrast, facility fees, or whether a cash payment counts toward your plan deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.

Open shareable result

Suggested next step

Insurance looks better on this estimate.

Your result depends on whether more care is likely this plan year and whether the provider is in-network.

Most useful submissions include screening vs diagnostic coding, anesthesia fee, pathology fee, provider name, date quoted and whether the amount was cash, allowed amount, EOB patient responsibility or billed charge.

Before booking, ask

Provider

  • What CPT code will be billed for this Colonoscopy?
  • Is the cash quote complete, or are professional/facility fees separate?
  • Is contrast, anesthesia, pathology or follow-up included if relevant?
  • Can you provide the quote in writing before booking?
  • Is this screening or diagnostic, and what happens to the bill if polyps are removed?
  • Are anesthesia and pathology included, and are those providers in network?
  • Is this screening or diagnostic, and which CPT or HCPCS code will be billed?
  • If polyps are found and removed during a screening colonoscopy, how will it be coded?

Insurer

  • Is the provider in-network for my exact plan?
  • Will this CPT code require prior authorization?
  • What patient responsibility do you estimate after deductible, copay and coinsurance?
  • If I pay cash, can I submit an out-of-network claim later?

Keep the decision handy

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We will send a confirmation link first. The signup is tied to this calculator page and helps us measure which US price topics need better data.

Data funnel

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Colonoscopy cost by state

State pages use available CMS/provider records where present, then fall back to the procedure calculator defaults while we collect more quotes and EOBs.

Ambulatory surgery center (ASC)

Standalone outpatient surgery facility; typically the lower-cost setting for colonoscopy.

Price risk: Anesthesia and pathology may still be billed separately.

Hospital outpatient department

Colonoscopy performed at a hospital outpatient facility.

Price risk: Facility fees often higher than at an ASC.

Endoscopy clinic

GI-specialist clinic offering scope-based procedures.

Price risk: Check anesthesia and pathology arrangements.

What changes an Colonoscopy bill?

The useful comparison is itemised. These are the fields to pin down before relying on any quote.

FactorWhy it mattersWhat to ask
Screening vs diagnostic intentThe ACA requires no-cost-sharing for many screening colonoscopies; diagnostic procedures are not protected.Ask whether the procedure will be billed as screening or diagnostic.
Polyp removal during screeningFederal guidance now treats polypectomy during a screening colonoscopy as part of the screening, but coding errors still occur.Confirm in writing how a polypectomy during screening will be coded and billed.
Anesthesia billingAnesthesia is often a separate bill from the gastroenterologist and facility.Ask whether the quote includes anesthesia, and whether the anesthesiologist is in network.
Facility setting (ASC vs hospital)Ambulatory surgery centers are typically lower-cost than hospital outpatient departments.Confirm whether the procedure is at an ASC or hospital outpatient department.
Pathology feesBiopsy or polyp samples generate a separate pathology bill not in the procedure quote.Ask whether pathology charges are bundled in the quote or billed separately.

Example cash vs insurance scenarios

These are illustrative calculations only. Replace them with your plan and provider quote in the tool above.

ScenarioCash quoteAllowed amountDeductible leftCoinsuranceInsurance estimateSignal
High deductible, diagnostic$1,750$2,400$2,00020%$2,080Cash may be lower-cost for diagnostic procedures with a high remaining deductible.
Screening, ACA preventive$1,750$2,400$00%$0Insurance should be $0 if billed correctly as ACA preventive screening.
Deductible already met, diagnostic$1,750$2,400$020%$480Insurance is usually lower-cost once the deductible is met for diagnostic.

Common Colonoscopy CPT codes

The CPT code changes the comparison. Ask the ordering clinician or imaging provider which code will be billed.

CodeDescriptionTypical use
45378Colonoscopy, diagnosticGI symptoms, bleeding, surveillance.
45380Colonoscopy with biopsyTissue sampling during the procedure.
45385Colonoscopy with snare polypectomyPolyp removal during the procedure.
G0121Colorectal cancer screening, average riskRoutine screening colonoscopy in average-risk patients (Medicare coding).
G0105Colorectal cancer screening, high riskScreening in high-risk patients (Medicare coding).

Hospital price records (CMS MRF data)

Aggregated from each hospital’s machine-readable file (MRF) published under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (45 CFR § 180.50). Provider-specific rows include a source URL, retrieval date, and confidence rating.

Methodology

What these numbers are — and what they are not. The amounts below are rates the hospital has filed with CMS: a cash / self-pay price, a payer-specific negotiated rate (often shown as a min–median–max range across the payer-plan combinations on file), or a de-identified min-negotiatedvalue. They are not patient bills: the amount a specific patient pays depends on plan, network, deductible, coinsurance, copay, separately billed professional fees, prior authorisation, and the exact CPT code billed on the day. Always verify with the provider and your insurer before booking. Some rates may be stale — each row carries the MRF retrieval date and, where available, inclusion flags for facility, professional and contrast components.

Showing 60 representative rows from 804 matched records to keep this page crawlable. The full structured extract is available through the data team.

ProviderLocationPrice typeAmountSourceInclusionsCheckedConfidence
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0121
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$5,643 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0121
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$5,643 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0121
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$5,643 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0121
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$5,643 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0121
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$5,643 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45378
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$4,878 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45378
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$4,878 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45378
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$4,878 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45378
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$4,878 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45378
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$4,878 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45380
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45380
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45380
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45380
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45380
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45385
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45385
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45385
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45385
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45385
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0105
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$4,878 (range $10,495–$11,386)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45378
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$3,965 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45380
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT 45385
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $12,162–$18,056)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0121
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$24,185 (range $10,495–$11,386)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0105
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$937 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0105
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$937 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0105
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$937 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0105
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$937 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
CPT G0105
Los Angeles, CACash / self-pay price$937 (range $2,807–$4,167)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Stanford Hospital
CPT 45378
Stanford, CACash / self-pay price$3,432CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Stanford Hospital
CPT 45380
Stanford, CACash / self-pay price$4,798CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Stanford Hospital
CPT 45385
Stanford, CACash / self-pay price$3,668CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Stanford Hospital
CPT G0105
Stanford, CACash / self-pay price$3,492CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Stanford Hospital
CPT G0121
Stanford, CACash / self-pay price$3,451CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Houston Methodist Hospital
CPT 45378
Houston, TXCash / self-pay price$519CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Houston Methodist Hospital
CPT 45380
Houston, TXCash / self-pay price$462CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Houston Methodist Hospital
CPT 45385
Houston, TXCash / self-pay price$485CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Houston Methodist Hospital
CPT G0105
Houston, TXCash / self-pay price$367CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
Houston Methodist Hospital
CPT G0121
Houston, TXCash / self-pay price$446CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,288 (range $329–$6,261)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,288 (range $329–$6,261)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,288 (range $329–$6,261)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,125 (range $146–$1,808)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high
UT Southwestern University Hospitals
CPT 45378
Dallas, TXCash / self-pay price$1,288 (range $329–$6,261)CMS hospital MRFnot specified2026-05-13high

Questions to ask before booking

  • Is this screening or diagnostic, and which CPT or HCPCS code will be billed?
  • If polyps are found and removed during a screening colonoscopy, how will it be coded?
  • Is anesthesia included in the quoted price, and is the anesthesiologist in network?
  • Are pathology fees included in the quote or billed separately?
  • Is the procedure at an ASC or hospital outpatient department?
  • If I pay cash, will the payment count toward my deductible or out-of-pocket maximum?
  • What is my estimated patient responsibility if billed to my insurance?

Data-source caveats

  • TreatCompare has not yet ingested nationwide hospital MRF rows for colonoscopy.
  • ACA preventive-care rules can change colonoscopy patient cost dramatically; confirm coding with your provider and insurer.
  • Anesthesia and pathology charges are commonly excluded from the procedure quote.
  • A payer-specific negotiated charge is not the same as the patient out-of-pocket amount.

According to CMS hospital price transparency data, US Colonoscopy prices vary across hospital outpatient departments and independent imaging or surgery centres. The same scan or procedure can show a 3x to 10x price spread between facilities in the same metro area depending on payer contracts, facility fees, and whether the professional fee is bundled or billed separately.

According to standard US health-plan structure, the patient's out-of-pocket cost for a Colonoscopy depends on remaining deductible, coinsurance percentage, in-network status, and any separately billed professional or anesthesia fees — not the headline hospital chargemaster price. The TreatCompare US cash-vs-insurance calculator estimates that responsibility from the cash quote and insurance allowed amount the patient enters.

According to CMS Hospital Price Transparency Rule (45 CFR § 180.50), every US hospital must publish a machine-readable file (MRF) of standard charges including discounted cash prices and payer-specific negotiated rates. TreatCompare US ingests these MRF files and surfaces the data per provider with the source URL and retrieval date — the price records below carry full traceability back to the original hospital file.

Sources: CMS hospital MRF data, TreatCompare US procedure price record dataset, May 2026.

Using this data?

Methodology, extracts and licensing

Updated May 2026

Main sources

  • CMS Hospital Price Transparency overview
  • CMS Hospital Price Transparency hospitals page
  • CMSgov/hospital-price-transparency GitHub repository
  • CMS CSV/JSON data dictionary and template guidance

Methodology: TreatCompare maps CMS standard-charge fields and provider cash-price fields into a consumer comparison model. This MVP explains the decision logic before full hospital MRF ingestion.

TreatCompare publishes healthcare, care-cost and treatment-pricing research for consumers, journalists, policymakers and commercial teams.

Contact TreatCompare about dataMethodology, source summaries and structured extracts: TreatCompare data team

Where to look next for Colonoscopy pricing or a facility

Publicly-verified US healthcare directories, accreditation tools and cash-pay marketplaces. TreatCompare links to the source — booking, eligibility and pricing are handled by the destination organisation.

ASGE Find a GI SpecialistFind a facility

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy directory of GI specialists who perform colonoscopy and upper endoscopy. Filter by US state.

Visit →
CDC Colorectal Cancer ScreeningFind a facility

Centers for Disease Control screening guidance — useful for the screening-vs-diagnostic distinction that determines whether a colonoscopy is covered as ACA preventive (no cost-share) or diagnostic.

Visit →
Healthcare BluebookPrice lookup

Independent fair-price lookup for thousands of US healthcare services. Lets you compare a quote you have received against the local fair price.

Visit →
FAIR Health ConsumerPrice lookup

Free price-lookup tool maintained by the non-profit FAIR Health. Uses a database of billions of US insurance claims to show typical costs by procedure and ZIP code.

Visit →
Turquoise Health ConsumerPrice lookup

Aggregates published hospital price-transparency files into a searchable price comparison by procedure, payer and ZIP code.

Visit →
MDsaveCash marketplace

Pre-paid cash-bundle marketplace — patients pay an all-in price upfront and avoid the surprise-bill flow. Genuine cash-pay alternative to insurance billing.

Visit →
Sidecar HealthCash marketplace

Membership health plan that pays cash directly for covered services, giving members published prices upfront. A genuine alternative model to traditional insurance.

Visit →
The Leapfrog Group — Hospital SafetyHospital safety

Free hospital quality and safety ratings. Useful when deciding between a hospital outpatient department and an independent facility for the same procedure.

Visit →

TreatCompare is not affiliated with these organisations and does not take a fee for linking. Verify any quoted price with your provider and insurer before booking care.

Help improve TreatCompare

TreatCompare is read by patients, prescribers, journalists and AI assistants. The dataset gets better when people who’ve been quoted, billed, or treated for US Colonoscopy pricing send their information in. None of these take more than a minute.

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Methodology
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