What common surgeries cost if you have no insurance

Why one surgery has so many prices

A surgery bill is made of several parts. There is a facility fee for the operating room and the staff who work in it. There is a fee for the surgeon, a fee for the anesthesia, and often a charge for implants or supplies. Each part may arrive as its own bill.

This is why the same operation can cost very different amounts. Hospitals often bill each part at a high list price. A surgery center or a medical practice may instead post one all-in price, which is called a bundled price. A bundled price covers the surgeon, the facility, the anesthesia and the supplies in one number.

Before a scheduled service, a provider must give you a written price if you are paying on your own. That paper is called a good faith estimate, and our guide on the good faith estimate explains your rights.

Real self-pay prices we found

New Hampshire's state health cost website estimates that an uninsured patient would pay about $5,808 to $18,939 for gallbladder surgery. The amount depends on the hospital. One surgery center in Oklahoma lists an all-in cash price of $6,836 for the laparoscopic operation, which uses small cuts. Another posting shows $7,368 for a laparoscopic appendectomy, which is appendix removal.

The same Oklahoma surgery center posts all-in self-pay prices for common hernia repairs in 2026. They run from $3,532 to $5,787. A hernia is a bulge that forms when tissue pushes through a weak spot in the muscle wall.

Joint replacements cost much more than these. One orthopedic practice in Illinois lists a self-pay price of $22,500 for a total knee replacement, and that price includes the implant. For a total hip replacement, four surgery practices we checked in October 2026 post bundled self-pay prices from $20,500 to $23,000.

Cataract surgery shows how wide a range can be. A 2021 study in JAMA Ophthalmology looked at 102 academic hospitals and found cash price estimates from $1,120 to $29,729 for one eye. The average across those hospitals was about $7,819.

Pregnancy and birth

The public health system in Phoenix, Arizona posts a package price for people without insurance, on a form dated February 2025. It is $6,500 for a vaginal birth and $7,700 for a planned C-section, and each package includes prenatal care and the hospital stay. A clear published price like this is rare.

A 2025 KFF analysis found that employer plans spent $28,998 on a pregnancy that ended in a cesarean. That is not a cash price. Medicaid covers pregnancy in every state, so check whether you qualify before you pay out of pocket.

What Medicare pays, for comparison

Medicare is the federal health plan for older adults and some younger people with disabilities. Its amounts are not cash prices, but they give you something to compare against. For a total knee replacement in 2026, Medicare pays a hospital about $13,117 and the surgeon about $1,159.

For a first-time open groin hernia repair, Medicare pays a hospital about $3,658 and the surgeon about $508. For a laparoscopic appendectomy, it pays a hospital outpatient department about $6,176 and the surgeon about $578. For cataract surgery at a surgery center, it approves about $1,717.

Ways to lower a surgery bill

Ask each surgeon and facility for a bundled cash price in writing. You will find a phone script in our guide on how to ask for the cash price. Ask what the price includes, and ask who bills for the anesthesia and for the doctor who reads any scans.

Look at our hospital price library to see what hospitals post. Posted hospital prices can help you compare, though a surgery center may offer a lower all-in price.

If your income is low, check whether you qualify for Medicaid before you schedule the operation. If you already have a bill you cannot pay, ask the hospital about financial help. Many nonprofit hospitals must have a financial assistance policy, and our guide on hospital financial assistance explains how to apply.

Most appendix removals begin in an emergency room, and an emergency is not the time to shop for prices. Please get care first and ask about financial help afterward. In an emergency, such as severe belly pain or heavy bleeding, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

Guides for each surgery

• The gallbladder surgery guide compares state estimates with a posted bundled price.
• The hernia surgery guide lists all-inclusive prices for common repairs.
• The appendectomy guide explains the cash price and the emergency path.
• The knee replacement guide covers the self-pay price and the Medicare amounts.
• The hip replacement guide compares four practices that post bundled prices.
• The cataract surgery guide shows why prices swing so widely.
• The C-section guide covers a package price and what is included.
• The childbirth guide covers vaginal birth, C-section and Medicaid coverage.
• The LASIK guide covers an eye surgery that insurance rarely pays for.
• The vasectomy guide covers what changes the price and how to get one written quote.
• The colonoscopy guide shows hospital cash prices for the most common screening procedure.

This page gives general information and does not replace a doctor's advice. Please do not delay surgery that your doctor says you need because of cost.