What a hip replacement costs if you pay on your own

What a hip replacement is and what it costs when you pay cash

MedlinePlus, a health site from the National Library of Medicine, says hip replacement is surgery for people with severe hip damage. The surgeon removes damaged cartilage and bone from the hip joint and puts in new, man-made parts. The most common cause of the damage is osteoarthritis. That is wear in a joint that brings pain, swelling and less motion.

A self-pay bundle is one price that covers most or all of the surgery. We read the posted bundle prices of four practices that do total hip replacements for people who pay in full and do not use insurance. These are examples and not an average, so prices near you may be higher or lower.

• A physician-owned surgery center in Kansas lists $20,500. The price covers a three-night stay, the surgeon, the anesthesia doctor and a standard implant. It also covers four weeks of physical therapy visits. A few special implants cost extra and are not in the price.
• An orthopedic group in central New York lists $20,500 at its own surgery center. The price covers the surgeon, the surgery center and any imaging. It also covers an overnight stay if needed, the anesthesia doctor, the implant and therapy at the center.
• One orthopedic practice in Illinois lists $22,500. It covers the facility, the surgeons and the anesthesia doctor, along with the implants and normal follow-up care. It leaves out tests and physical therapy, and it also leaves out the cost of any complications.
• In Texas, one orthopedic practice lists $23,000, on a page updated in October 2026. The price covers the surgeon, the surgery center and the implant. It also covers the assistant surgeon, the anesthesia doctor and 90 days of follow-up care.

Each offer is for people who pay the full amount themselves. Some ask for payment a week or more before the surgery. None of them applies if you file an insurance claim. Please call and ask rather than counting on one number.

What Medicare pays for the same surgery

Medicare is the federal health plan for people 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities. Its rates are not cash prices, and you cannot use them to buy surgery without insurance. They are still a useful yardstick, because the government publishes them every year.

• For 2026, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services pays a hospital outpatient department about $13,117 for a total hip replacement. The payment rate is the same as the one for a total knee replacement.
• Medicare pays the surgeon about $1,162 for the operation in 2026, using the national figure on its physician fee schedule. That payment also covers the surgeon's care for 90 days after the surgery.
• Anesthesia and any stay in a rehab facility are billed on top of these amounts.

Some hospitals list much higher full charges than these. A 2023 study looked at 20 highly ranked orthopedic hospitals. It found a median list price of $68,016 for a hip or knee joint replacement without complications. A list price is a sticker price, and very few people pay it.

What drives the price of a hip replacement

The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons says a hip replacement has costs before, during and after the operation. The pieces below are the ones that move the total the most.

• The facility fee pays for the operating room, the nursing staff and the supplies. It is often lower at a stand-alone surgery center than at a large hospital.
• The implant is the artificial joint that stays in your body. The association says most primary hip implants cost from $3,000 to $10,000. It adds that busy hospitals often pay much less.
• The surgeon and the anesthesia doctor each send their own fee.
• Tests before surgery, such as blood work and X-rays, are often billed separately.
• Time in a hospital or a rehab center adds to the bill. The association says a stay at a rehab facility can pass $20,000 and may double the total. It says outpatient therapy usually costs far less.

The association also says most patients stay in the hospital for one to three nights. Your surgeon decides what is safe for you, including whether you can go home the same day. This page cannot tell you which setting to pick.

How to ask for a bundled cash price

Call the surgeon's office and the billing office of the facility. Ask for a bundled self-pay price in writing, and ask what it includes and what it leaves out. Our guide on asking for the cash price has phone scripts you can read aloud.

You also have a right to a good faith estimate. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services says a provider usually must give an uninsured or self-pay patient an estimate of the cost. This applies if you ask for one, or if you book the care at least 3 business days ahead. You may be able to dispute a final bill that is at least $400 more than the estimate. You can follow each step in our guide on the good faith estimate.

Federal rules also make hospitals post their prices online. Our hospital price library can help you look up what hospitals near you list. A posted price is a starting point for a conversation and is not a promise of your final bill.

Ways to lower the bill

If a hospital will do the surgery, ask for its financial assistance application before the date of the operation. Nonprofit hospitals must have a financial assistance policy, and it can cut or erase a bill for people with lower incomes. To learn how to ask, read our guide on hospital financial assistance.

A primary care doctor can examine your hip, order an X-ray and write the referral that a surgeon's office will want. A cash-pay doctor with a monthly membership can do this for a known fee. Direct primary care usually costs $50 to $200 a month, and you can search for a cash-pay doctor near you. Our guide on knee replacement costs covers many of the same price rules.

Please do not put off care that a doctor says you need because of the price. Call the surgeon's office and say that cost is the worry. They may know of a payment plan or a lower price that you have not heard about.

Our overview of what surgery costs without insurance compares many operations.

When to get care right away

MedlinePlus says to call 911 if you suspect a broken bone in the hip, the pelvis or the upper leg. In any emergency, such as chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Emergency rooms must see you whether or not you have insurance. This page gives general information and is not medical advice.