What a colonoscopy costs when you have no insurance

How much a colonoscopy costs without insurance

A colonoscopy is a test that lets a doctor look at the inside of your large intestine, which is also called the colon. The doctor uses a thin, flexible tube with a tiny camera. During the test, the doctor can remove a polyp, which is a small growth on the inside wall of the colon. This page gives general information and does not replace medical advice. If you have severe belly pain, heavy bleeding or another emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest ER.

A 2021 study in JAMA Network Open compared the self-pay prices that roughly 900 to 970 hospitals posted online, depending on the type of colonoscopy. The median is the price right in the middle of that list.

• For a diagnostic colonoscopy, the median cash price was $1,635, and the middle half of hospitals charged between $993 and $2,741.
• With a biopsy, the median was $2,005, with the middle half between $1,244 and $3,170. A biopsy means taking a small piece of tissue to test.
• With polyps removed, the median was $1,984, with the middle half between $1,243 and $3,416.

Trilliant Health published a newer look at Texas hospitals in November 2025. It found a median cash price of $1,554 for a diagnostic colonoscopy. Cash prices in that group ranged about 18 times from the lowest to the highest. That study covered only Texas, so prices where you live may be different.

Why the final bill can be bigger than the quote

Often a colonoscopy is more than one service, and each part can come as its own bill. A guide from Georgetown University describes separate bills for two of these parts. One is the anesthesia, which is the medicine that keeps you comfortable. The other is the pathology exam, which is the lab test of any tissue or polyp that is removed.

• Hospitals and surgery centers charge a facility fee for the room, equipment and nurses.
• Gastroenterologists, the specialists who do the test, charge a doctor's fee.
• Whoever gives the medicine charges an anesthesia fee.
• The lab that studies any tissue or polyp that is taken out charges a pathology fee.

You cannot know ahead of time whether a polyp will be found. A quote for a basic exam may grow if the doctor finds one, which is why we show three prices above. When you call, ask which of these parts are in the price you are given and which are not. Request the whole price you would pay if a polyp is removed.

Other ways to screen for colon cancer

Several other tests can also check for colon cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists stool tests that use a sample you collect. It also lists a short exam of the lower colon called a flexible sigmoidoscopy, a CT scan of the colon, and colonoscopy. A national expert group recommends screening for adults ages 45 to 75, the CDC says. People with certain risk factors may need to start earlier.

Your doctor decides which test fits you, and we cannot make that choice here. The CDC says an abnormal result on a stool test, a flexible sigmoidoscopy or a CT scan of the colon calls for a follow-up colonoscopy. Prices differ by test, so ask for the cash price of each test your doctor suggests. Search for a cash-pay doctor near you if you want someone to talk through your choices.

Insurance rules for free screening

According to the CDC, most health insurance covers colorectal cancer screening tests without a deductible or copay. Georgetown's guide adds that a plan that follows the Affordable Care Act should also cover the related anesthesia and pathology for a screening colonoscopy. These rules help people who have insurance, and they leave the cash price unchanged for someone who has none.

If you gain coverage later through Medicaid or a Marketplace plan, check what it covers before you schedule the test. Our guide on losing job-based coverage lists the usual ways to get insured again.

Ways to lower the price of a colonoscopy

• Start by comparing the kinds of places you can go. An ambulatory surgery center is an outpatient center that is not part of a hospital. A 2018 report on Medicare's price lookup tool found that Medicare paid less there than in a hospital outpatient department. Cash prices may follow the same pattern, so call both kinds of places.
• Some offices may quote one package price that covers the doctor, the facility and the anesthesia, so ask whether the office has one.
• You can ask for a good faith estimate if you schedule at least 3 business days ahead. Our guide on the good faith estimate explains how.
• If the hospital is a nonprofit, apply for its financial assistance. To see the steps, read our guide on hospital financial assistance.
• Ask whether paying in full ahead of time lowers the price, and ask about a payment plan with no interest.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says hospitals must post their prices online, and the files include a discounted cash price. A 2023 Health Affairs study found that hospital cash prices were below the median insurer-negotiated price in 47 percent of cases. The cash price is worth asking about, and it is still smart to compare. You will find a phone script in our guide on asking for the cash price.