What an appendectomy costs if you have no insurance

What an appendectomy is

MedlinePlus, the National Library of Medicine's health site, says the appendix is a small, tube-like organ. The organ is attached to the first part of the large intestine. Appendicitis happens when something blocks the appendix and it becomes inflamed, which means swollen and sore. MedlinePlus calls appendicitis a medical emergency, and it says treatment almost always means removing the appendix. The surgery that removes the appendix is called an appendectomy.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK, describes two ways to do it. In laparoscopic surgery, the surgeon makes small cuts and uses a thin tube with a camera. In open surgery, the surgeon makes one larger cut in the lower right belly. NIDDK says the laparoscopic way generally leads to fewer complications and a shorter recovery. The surgeon chooses the method after reviewing your condition.

Real prices we found

No national list of cash prices exists for appendix removal. We looked for prices that a provider or a government posts in public, and we found one flat price and some study figures.

• One surgery center in Oklahoma posts $7,368 for a laparoscopic appendectomy. Its page says the price covers the surgeon, the facility, anesthesia and routine follow-up care. The price is fixed before your surgery date. It leaves out a $250 consultation, outside tests, an overnight stay and treatment of any complication.
• A 2024 study in JAMA Network Open looked at 76,183 adults who had an appendectomy in five states in 2016 and 2017. The study counted care from 7 days before the surgery to 30 days after. The middle cost to the hospital was $9,177 for people with a timely diagnosis. It was $11,099 for people whose diagnosis was delayed. The authors changed the numbers into 2022 dollars.

Please read these figures with care, because they are not all the same kind of number. The study figures are what the care cost the hospitals, and they are not what a hospital would have charged you. The surgery center's price is for a planned operation on a person who is stable enough to be treated there. A person with a burst appendix or a high fever usually needs a hospital, and the bill is likely to be higher.

What Medicare pays, as a comparison

Medicare is the federal health insurance for people 65 and older, and for some younger people with disabilities. Its payment rates are not cash prices, so you cannot use them to buy surgery without insurance. They still give a fair yardstick, because they come from a government schedule.

• For 2026, Medicare pays a hospital outpatient department about $6,176 for a laparoscopic appendectomy and about $6,614 for an open one. These come from the January 2026 payment file of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• Medicare pays the surgeon about $578 for the laparoscopic operation and about $606 for the open one, using the national figures on its fee schedule. The payment also covers the surgeon's care for 90 days after surgery.
• A burst appendix often means an operation with a hospital stay. Medicare's outpatient file lists that operation as an inpatient-only service, so it has no outpatient rate.

Anesthesia and the hospital room are billed on top of these amounts.

What makes the bill go up or down

An appendectomy bill is made of several parts. The facility fee pays for the operating room, the nurses and the supplies, and the surgeon bills for the operation. An anesthesia team bills separately for its work. Tests such as blood work and a CT scan can add a lot, and so can a night or more in a hospital bed.

Three things change the total more than anything else. The first is the place, because a hospital and a surgery center charge different amounts. The second is whether the appendix burst, since that can mean a longer stay and more care. The third is whether the operation was planned or came through the emergency room. An ER visit adds its own fee to the bill.

The study's middle hospital cost of $9,177 is above the surgery center's flat price, so a hospital's posted cash price may run higher too. Our hospital price library can help you see what hospitals in your area post for common services.

If you are in the emergency room right now

Please do not put off care because of money. A federal law called EMTALA requires emergency rooms to screen and stabilize anyone who comes in, whether or not they have insurance. Our guide on emergency room costs without insurance explains how the bill works.

After the surgery, ask for an itemized bill, which lists every charge. Then ask the hospital for its financial assistance form. Federal tax rules require a nonprofit hospital to have a written financial assistance policy. The IRS also sets a limit on what such a hospital may charge. A nonprofit hospital may not charge a person who qualifies more than it generally bills insured people for that care. Our guide on hospital financial assistance walks you through how to apply, and you can often apply after you go home.

Ways to pay less when surgery can be planned

Sometimes a surgeon schedules the operation a few days out. If you have that time, ask for a bundled cash price, which is one price that combines all the fees. Then ask exactly which costs the price does not include. Our guide on asking for the cash price has words you can use on the phone.

You can also ask for a good faith estimate. CMS says providers must give one to people with no insurance who ask for it or who schedule care at least 3 business days ahead. That rule does not fit a surgery you need today, but it can help with a planned one. Our guide on the good faith estimate explains how to ask. A cash-pay doctor can help you compare quotes and follow up after surgery. You can also search for a cash-pay doctor near you. Direct primary care plans usually run $50 to $200 a month.

Signs that need care right away

MedlinePlus says the main sign of appendicitis is pain in the belly, often on the right side. The pain is usually sudden and gets worse over time. Other signs include swelling in the belly, loss of appetite, and nausea and vomiting. Some people have constipation or diarrhea, cannot pass gas, or have a low fever. Not everyone has all of these signs at the same time.

MedlinePlus also says an untreated blockage can make the appendix burst and spread infection in the belly. If you think you may have appendicitis, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. This page offers general information and cannot replace the advice of a doctor.