Anesthesia typically is covered by health insurance for medically necessary procedures. For patients covered by health insurance, out-of-pocket costs for anesthesia can consist of coinsurance of about 10% to 50%.
For patients without health insurance, the cost of anesthesia can range from less than $500 for a local anesthetic administered in an office setting to $500-$3,500 or more for regional anesthesia and/or general anesthesia administered by an anesthesiologist and/or certified registered nurse anesthetist in a hospital operating room.
Total anesthesia costs typically include: the anesthesia provider fee and the hospital anesthesia fee, which covers the cost of supplies, equipment, medications and hospital staff used for anesthesia. General anesthesia costs typically are calculated based on a base unit value assigned to the procedure based on its complexity (for example, an appendectomy is six base units and coronary bypass surgery is 20) added to the number of 15-minute time units the provider spends and multiplied by the provider's charge per unit. A 2010 survey by the American Society of Anesthesiologists showed a median of about $60 to $64 per unit. So, an anesthesiologist might bill $600 for an appendectomy that takes an hour, or bill $2,500 or more for heart surgery that takes six hours.
Hospital anesthesia charges typically depend on the complexity of the procedure. For example, at Akron General[1] in Ohio, the typical hospital anesthesia charge is about $200-$1,050, depending on the surgery. HealthcareBlueBook.com[2] lists approximate anesthesia costs for a variety of procedures: $469 for a leg fracture surgery, $582 for hernia repair, $619 for a tonsillectomy, $1,243 for a total hysterectomy without cancer, $1,159 for spinal fusion surgery and $2,495 for coronary bypass grafting.
For local anesthesia, the provider will inject a local anesthetic into a specific area of the body to numb that area by preventing the nerves form sending pain signals. Lidocaine is an example of a commonly used local anesthetic.
For regional anesthesia, the provider will inject the anesthetic near a cluster of nerves. Typically, the patient can either remain fully aware or be given a sedative. Spinal blocks, epidural blocks and peripheral nerve blocks -- which can numb a leg, arm or the head -- are all types of regional anesthesia. Regional anesthesia can be used alone during surgery, in combination with general anesthesia during surgery or after surgery for pain control. The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine[3] has information on regional anesthesia.
For general anesthesia, the provider typically will administer the anesthetic as a gas through a mask and/or intravenously. The anesthetic makes the patient unconscious and unable to feel pain. An anesthesia care provider will monitor the patient's heart, lung and kidney function and temperature and will adjust medications if needed. A reversal agent may be administered after surgery to help the patient wake up. WebMD offers an overview[4] of what happens before, during and after anesthesia.
Discounts:
Many doctors and hospitals give discounts of up to 30% or more to uninsured or cash-paying patients. For example, Washington Hospital Healthcare System[5] in California offers a 35% discount.
A 2010 study by The Lewin group, a healthcare consulting firm, showed that the total anesthesia cost is about 25% less if a certified registered nurse anesthetist, rather than an anesthesiologist, is the sole anesthesia provider. The American Society of Anesthesiologists offers information about anesthesiologists[6] , and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists offers information about nurse anesthetists. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) can perform all types of anesthesia, and 16 states have chosen to opt out of a federal law that requires physician supervision of a nurse anesthetist; in other states, the surgeon sometimes acts as the supervising physician.
Shopping for anesthesia:
The surgeon typically will choose an anesthesiologist for the surgery, but the patient can discuss the choice of anesthesiologist with the surgeon ahead of time. The anesthesiologist should be certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology[7] . In some cases, a registered nurse anesthetist will provide or help with anesthesia care.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists[8] recommends that patients ask their anesthesiologist: what qualifications he or she has, how many similar procedures he or she has done; who else might be involved in the patient's anesthesia care; if the anesthesiologist will monitor heart, breathing or anything else; where recovery will take place; whether there will be an anesthesiologist on duty in the recovery room; and who will manage pain control after surgery.
The American Society of Anesthesiologists[9] offers an FAQ about anesthesia.
The National Institutes of Health offers a tutorial[10] on how to minimize the risks of anesthesia.
Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.
7 Lesser-Known Discounts for the 50+ Crowd As they age, members of the Baby Boomer generation don't like to admit that they're senior citizens, but they love getting discounts. It's kind of a quandary, because some of the best deals available are reduced prices for older folks. || Posted October 21 2013
7 Ways to Stretch Your Reduced Food Budget End of the year budgets are tight for everyone, especially in this economy.It's especially hard for the millions of Americans who depend on government programs like food stamps to help make ends meet. || Posted November 11 2013
This is nuts. Outpatient surgery for our son took an hour from induction to emergence. They are billing 50/50 for the anesthesiologist and a CRNA. I am highly skeptical that the MD was in the room for the whole procedure. Also skeptical that they needed two people for such a brief, simple procedure. After insurance, our OOP is 1,044 because we're in a new year.
We desperately need federal legislation that prohibits these hidden out of network anesthesia charges. Every insurer must be required to tell members who check for in network providers of all the various services they need to check for. Consumers have no idea and they are getting ripped off.
Medical center and Dr. were in network. Who would check who does anesthesia and how that is billed. Insurance should have paid 100% but only paid $150 of anesthesia. Left me with $650 bill.
The bill was 3573.00 my Anthem insurance paid 3069.00 leaving me w/ a bill of 504.00. so the Anesthesia was covered but it should have covered the entire cost. Just a few short years ago the insurance company would make the Doctors Write this off and they would now they will not do that. I find the whole thing to be a racket. the Doctor's facitly should pay the Anesthesiologist for their work as they contracted them not me. From now on I want to try and shop the Anesthesiologist prior to the procedure and make sure whomever they use will only bill what they insurance company allows. I hate all this knit picky stuff it just seems like a complete scam.
How can you justify this price for fifteen minutes, I had a local I know of and they have me for three differemnt doses, 2 at *720 and one for 248. This was through the VA community services, are they double billing me.
Provider: Steve Landau/Anesthesia associates of An
Had an ER visit 4th of July, days prior for thrombosed hemorrhoid, it wasn't fixed. GI Dr. Visit on Mondaythrough in-network hospital got me in Tuesday. Everything was expedited because I was in so much pain. I had a CRNA and an anesthesiologist (It's MI, CRNAs can't work by themselves) CRNA was fully covered, the anesthesiologist was not. I had no time to have a choice. Looking up his name, he lists St Joe's as one of his two hospitals. Nope, full out of network charge. I had already hit my max because I had a baby literally two weeks prior. Really, really bad situation with all we've already had to pay this year.
My son had arthroscopic knee surgery in 2019 that was less than an hour long. He is over 21, but since he is a college student I still cover his medical bills. His doctor never mentioned that while the hospital was in-network the anesthesiologists are not. The day of his surgery a rep from the hospital pulled me aside and asked how I would be paying the bill, she said it would probably be about $800 after insurance, I told her I would wait and see and not prepay anything. She did not mention that the anesthesiologists are not in-network. The bill from the hospital was mostly covered by insurance, the bill for the anesthesiologist and CRNA was $2312, insurance did pay $274.59 for each of them but my bill was $1762.82, more than twice what I was told. Because I am a single parent with two kids and I am also helping to pay for the aforementioned college, I am paying the bill off slowly in small amounts of $100-$200. I am angry at the lack of communication and the surprise balance bill.
For a quick shot for pain relief in my lower back by an orthopedic doctor, why in this world should the cost for 10 minutes of Propofal anasthetic be so exorbitant? This anathesiologist was not in the network of my insurance! Of course, I was not informed about the status of the anathesiologist. How can this be allowed to happen?
For a 10-minute cataract surgery with conscious sedation, I was billed $2857 ($1428.50 each for Anesthesiologist and CRNA). Ridiculous. I am thankful for good insurance (that I pay dearly for, btw) and they also think that is ridiculous - the contracted price came down to $416.50, total. (Which makes me think that Allied Anesthesia Consultants *also* knows the billed amount is ridiculous! Grrr.) My co-pay ended up being $83.50. Still makes me mad, though. Bottom line: if you are uninsured/underinsured, find out what the contracted insurance price is and stand your ground to not pay more than that. The "cash-pay" price they will offer you will only be reduced 20-50%, but the contracted price in this case was 85% discounted! Offer 10% and negotiate to the 15% =))
I had my gall bladder removed and my total bill was over $25,000.00 and I had no insurance. I was billed $9254.70 and an additional $1722.50 from the anesthesiologist alone. I had one surgery about an hour and two different anesthesia's totaling nearly $11000.00 ? This is ridiculous
Posted by: Susanna Kelland in Colorado Springs, CO.
Posted: August 6th, 2019 01:08AM
Procedure: Fix broken blood vessel
Provider: US Anaesthesia Partners of Colorado
I was told my insurance would still not cover any of the anestheiologist portion of the surgery for broken blood vessel in retina (no reason given, either by surgery center or insurance company, ). I had no choice. Plus, the Pinnacle Eye Center would not tell me how much it would be. "They do their own billing". They told me this minutes before surgery, as I was going in. Due to the nature of the condition, it was considered emergency, I had no time to go over any costs or options. After surgery, I got an un-itemized bill, no explanation, for $1700. (It said "printed July 17, due August 3". I received it late July, and opened it August 5. No date was on the envelope indicating when it was mailed. So is the bill now automatically late?) It was regional anaesthetic (numbing of the eye) with a sedative, fentanyl I was told. Not full, unconscious anaesthetic. No choice, no explanation, no insurance coverage of just this. No estimate give pre-surgery, and no itemization explaining costs.
I didn’t want to pay the doctor who went to 4 years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school ($150,000 in student loans) 4 years of Special training Anesthesia ( working 80-100 hours /week for minimum wage). So, I rolled the dice and asked for no anesthesia for my surgery because I don’t think saving my life should cost $5000 or $10,000. I suggest everyone to request NO Anesthesia for their surgery.
Do not think for a second that your actual anesthesiologist received the funds you were billed. I most cases they receive a fraction of what is either paid by insurance companies or paid by the patient. Most of these payments go to hospitals to pay for supplies and overhead or to national companies that have purchased anesthesia groups and are now covering the cost of their own administrative ends. If we made 2500 doing a single colonoscopy we’d be retired after 2 years of work. In reality, I receive perhaps $200 pretax for providing anesthesia for a typical 30 minute colonoscopy! We are not the criminals here I promise you.
$4000 for under 1 hour of laparoscopic surgery. Looked into it because it seemed like double billing to me($1988 x2) for the CRNA and physician. Still appears high compared to others.
Recently received a bill for colon resection surgery. The entire surgery lasted 2-3 hours. I'm trying to figure out why the anesthesia costs are so high. Called the billing office for an explanation and she stated this information is for the insurance provider.
I was all prepped for surgery. The anesthesiologist came in two hours late And like a tornado and wanted new vitals taken. She sent the nurse off for a bigger cuff and before the nurse could use it, decided my blood pressure 150/80 was too high and refused services therefore cancelling my surgery. Neither the surgeon nor the hospital charged me because the procedure was cancelled. The only bill besides the pre-op bloodwork was from the anesthesiologist who refused services.
Charged my BCBS $3,416 + $244 and were paid $3,340.27. Despite repeated request for breakdown of charges and questioning co-pay of $319, office flipped to collection agency.
Well, my insurance claim from the anesthesiologist was for over $8,700. Maybe a 15 min. surgery....I can't wait to get the bill to see what my charge will be. My Aetna insurance will not pay since he wasn't contracted with an insurance company. What to do?? I guess he will get paid what I think he was worth. I can see why no one will tell you who the anesthesiologist is prior to surgery or what their estimated charges will be....
I'm an Anesthesiologist in Hawaii. At the endoscopy ('same day surgery') center I practice at; we receive about $300-$350 per colonoscopy (35 minutes on average of Anesthesia time). Patients pay a "co-pay" of about $25. Patients without insurance coverage pay a (self-pay) 'out of pocket' expense of $250. I've never received more than $375 for Anesthesia services rendered for a colonoscopy there. The Gastroenterologists is compensated $500-$1,000 per colonoscopy and the endoscopy center bills between $2,000-$3,000 for each colonoscopy (depending on equipment used, biopsy charges, etc.).
FOR A NORMAL DELIVERY US ANESTHESIA PARTNERS CHARGED A RIPOFF 8700$ WHEREAS MY GYNECOLOGIST FOR THE WHOLE 10 MONTHS SERVICE CHARGED JUST 3200 AND HOSPITAL JUST 2800. US Anesthesia Partners AT KATY MEMORIAL HARMANN IS A RIPOFF
5/2018 Twilight procedure for a 5 minute knee injection! Dr. AiJaz Mohammed, Capitol Care Anesthesia. Office that did the procedure stated they would bill me. $250.00 not $1,400.00.
I am a nurse anesthesiologist or a CRNA and have been providing anesthesia for over 15 years. I have worked in many different hospitals, outpatient centers and offices. I am finally figuring out this billing and will try to help explain. When a patien comes in for a procedure, there are multiple bulls they will be receiving. A bill for the surgeon, anesthesia, hospital or outpatient facility fee and then any other extra charges for radiology, dialysis, etc. I had no idea until I started billing myself that there were this many fees. Anesthesia itself is billed by units. You have a base unit for the procedure itself that everyone gets billed for that procedure. This includes set up, patient positioning, how invasive the surgery is, etc. there are added base units depending upon age greater than 70 and less than 2. There are other qualifiers that increase and add units for example an emergency also adds a unit. Once the base unit is figured then they add very 15 min of time after.
Posted by: Still another user in Reston VA in Reston, VA.
Posted: April 9th, 2018 11:04AM
Procedure: Colonoscopy
Provider: Restesia
My insurance covered my colonoscopy, as well as the related facility. However, my insurance company sent me a notice that NONE of the anesthesia cost was covered since the anesthesiologist was OUT OF NETWORK! I had no choice with respect to the anesthesiologist. It seems counter intuitive to use anesthesiologists that are NOT in the same insurance plans as the doctors performing the colonoscopy, as well as the facility [really misleading in my view]. I also don't understand why spending a half hour administering Propofol is so expensive.
I was charged $4400 for anesthesia for colonoscopy plus another $500 for the anesthesiologist surgical charges. My doctor and facility were in the network but the anesthesiologist was not. I had no choice in who this person would be. My insurance will only pay $1700 and I will have to pay the rest. Something definitely sounds wrong here for a 45 minute procedure.
My doctor was in the insurance network. I didn’t know who would be the anesthesiologist. I assumed that whoever it was would also be in the network but he was not. Insurance paid $1400 out of network and I owe the rest. This bill was a huge shock. How do these doctors get away with charging this for a 45 minute procedure?
Posted by: family member in Los Angeles in west hills, CA.
Posted: March 2nd, 2018 09:03PM
Procedure: removed prior scar tissue
Provider: West Hills Hospital
Three hours from prep time through recovery room. I think he charged extra because it was new year's weekend. And on top of everything, he had a horrible bedside manner, was mean and condescending toward my poor mama who asked him to speak more slowly and loudly.
$2346 for an intensive three hour procedure done to diagnose and remove endometriosis from uterus and removal of cysts from ovaries, also did an HSG. I think the charge is reasonable - I'm upset about the "reasonable and customary" rate for anesthesia, which is apparently only $648, and that is a rate set by the government for anesthesia in that region (this is what my insurance company told me). How can they set one (very low) rate, when people have different length surgeries? So with this "usual and customary" rate of $648 covered, I'm left with a bill of $1697. Sure, if my surgery was simple and 1 hour, it might have cost closer to $650. But it was much longer and required 3 hours of anesthesia, of course that would cost more. It just doesn't seem right. Doesn't seem to be much I can do about it, but I'm not happy about it.
Bill split in two. One for Physician for 1500.00. The 2nd bill is for a CRNA for 1380.00. The physician came said hi,talked to the nurse about 3 to 5 min and left The nurse administered the drugs. I called TAA and was told by law, this was the way it was now. I call it medical fraud to pay a physician this much for less than 10 min of time.
Posted by: Amy P. in McKinney, Texas in McKinney, TX.
Posted: May 15th, 2017 09:05AM
Procedure: Conscious Sedation
Provider: Monica Ata, DO Stratus Anesthesia
I was scheduled for an in-office plantar wart removal under conscious sedation and was billed $1575. Anesthesiologist Monica Ata began evaluation 10:45 am; procedure began 1100 am, procedure completed 1128, anesthesia over 1132. She didn't have needed supplies and had to call an associate. She attempted PIV x2 without success and associate obtained IV. Procedure was delayed due to her lack of preparation and she billed me for 47 minutes ($1575 from Stratus Anesthesia Group). This cost seems unreasonable. My son had General Anesthesia in hospital with procedure to place pins in a fracture and cost was under $1000. She had me on EKG monitoring/pulse ox during procedure but I had to correct the placement of the EKG leads as they were not placed to display an appropriate waveform. As a nurse, I had to help her "figure out" how to administer the medication as she did not have the appropriate equipment in her travel bag. Propofol only medication administered.
CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.
CostHelper Community
UTI urgent care visit Paid: 147.00 Visit was $135. Antibiotics was $12. Waiting for four hours in the waiting room and the visit was quick... [more]
Spanish Medical Interpreter Paid: 150.00 I worked with SynShyne Services out of Monroe, NC. They were so worth the price! Professional, friendly, accurate, great attitude and always on time. I recieved an itemized report after every contact and a user friendly invoice weekly... [more]
Skin prick allergy test Paid: 573.00 Took my 9 yr. old in after an allergic reaction to eggs. Several panels for nuts, fish & top 8 allergens. Sure enough, egg came up. Got a script for epinephrine and left... [more]