Bunion Treatment Cost

How Much Does Bunion Treatment Cost?

With Health Insurance: Copays + 10%-50% Coinsurance

Without Health Insurance: $1,000-$15,000+

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A bunion is a problem with the big toe joint that causes a bone to protrude from the foot and the toe to be improperly aligned. It often can be treated conservatively, but surgery sometimes is required.

Typical costs:

For patients with health insurance, the typical out-of-pocket cost for bunion treatment consists of a copay or coinsurance of 10%-50%. Bunion treatment might not be covered by health insurance, depending on the plan. For example, Anthem BlueCross BlueShield^[1] excludes most treatment for bunions because treatment is considered palliative or cosmetic.
For patients without health insurance, bunion treatment typically costs less than $1,000 for conservative treatment, and costs depends on which treatments are used. Or, treatment can cost about $2,000-$15,000 or more if surgery is required.
For example, bunion splints^[2] cost from less than $20 to about $70 at FootSmart.com. Cortisone shots typically cost $100-$300 when administered to a joint. And custom orthotics cost about $200-$800.
At Affordable Foot Care in Texas, bunion surgery^[3] costs $2,000. At Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center, in Nebraska, surgery to correct a bunion^[4] costs roughly $8,000-$15,000 or more, not including the doctor fee. Patients on a forum^[5] at HealthBoards.com report total costs for bunion surgery of $5,000-$30,000.

What should be included:

Conservative treatment for a bunion can include anti-inflammatory medication, roomy shoes, custom orthotics, stretching exercises and a foot splint that is worn at night. A doctor sometimes will inject cortisone near the bunion to reduce inflammation.
If conservative treatment fails to alleviate symptoms, bunion surgery^[6] sometimes is recommended. Surgery depends on the individual case and might involve removing the bump on the toe and realigning the joints. A nerve block typically is used to numb the foot, but sometimes general anesthesia is used. Recovery from surgery typically involves wearing a special boot for about six weeks.
MedicineNet.com has an overview of bunion treatment^[7] .

Additional costs:

In some cases, bunion surgery fails and additional treatment might be needed. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 85%-90% of surgery patients are happy with their results.

Discounts:

Many hospitals and doctors give discounts of up to 35% or more to uninsured/cash-paying patients. For example, UC Health, in Cincinnati, offers a 40% discount^[8] .

Shopping for bunion treatment:

A podiatrist should treat bunions. The American Podiatric Medical Association offers a podiatrist locator^[9] . It is important to make sure the podiatrist is certified by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine^[10] or the American Board of Podiatric Surgery^[11] , depending on their area of specialty.
WebMD offers a guide to bunion surgery^[12] .

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.

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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments

Lapiplasty Bunion Surgery

Amount: $64,500.00

Posted by: Thinktwice in Pittsburgh, PA.	Posted: March 29th, 2021 05:03PM
Type of Treatment: Bunion Removal	Physician or Medical Center:

Pittsburgh cost 2020 is $64,500 billed to insurance for 1 bunion. Co-insurance was $6500. Had this done for pain based on quick recovery reviews. The surgery alleviated the pain - 6 months later have no feeling in my foot and have issues with balance. Down time was greatly under-exaggerated, real down time is 4 weeks in a cast, 6 in a boot and then if you’re lucky and your foot isn’t still crazy swollen you might get into a slipper. Was 5 months before I could get my foot into a running shoe laces undone. My new arch is lower - yes you’ll get a new arch and it may or may not match your other arch. The surgery fixed 2 problems - pain and bunions, but it created other problems. Think twice before having it done.