Appendectomy Cost in North Carolina (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay

What does a appendectomy cost in North Carolina?

A typical appendectomy in North Carolina costs $5,024–$9,218 for a commercially insured patient, including facility and physician fees. The median reported facility price across 34 hospitals is $5,863. This estimate is based on CMS fee schedules and hospital price transparency data published under federal law.

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Where appendectomy costs vary in North Carolina

Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.

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Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare) and Wake Forest Baptist Health have merged into one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the Southeast. Duke Health and UNC Health anchor the Research Triangle academic tier, creating a market where major academic centers hold outsized pricing leverage. North Carolina has been an active target for FTC scrutiny of hospital consolidation. Appendectomy is largely an emergency procedure, which eliminates most price shopping. The main cost driver is surgical approach and admission status: uncomplicated laparoscopic appendectomies are increasingly performed as same-day outpatient cases at substantially lower total cost than open or complicated inpatient stays. Your primary out-of-pocket exposure is driven by your deductible and whether the facility and surgeon are both in-network.

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Why prices vary - and what it means for your coverage

A small number of hospitals (6) report prices above $9,258, including Wilson Medical Center at $18,931, which drives most of the overall spread - excluding them, most facilities cluster in a much tighter band. Facility classification matters as much as the hospital itself - a hospital-owned outpatient center adds a facility fee that a freestanding clinic does not. Setting drives most of the spread here: an ambulatory surgical center (ASC) is usually meaningfully cheaper than a hospital operating room for the same procedure, when your case qualifies.

On top of the facility price, your actual bill depends on your deductible, your out-of-pocket maximum, and whether every provider involved - not just the facility - is in-network.

Frequently asked questions: appendectomy costs in North Carolina

How much does an appendectomy cost in North Carolina?

The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $5,668, with most facilities between $3,339 and $5,864 (based on 34 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). Full market pricing - including cash rates, gross charges, and outlier facilities - ranges more widely, from $741 to $47,328 across all 34 North Carolina hospitals that publish prices. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.

Where is the cheapest place to get an appendectomy in North Carolina?

Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our North Carolina data is Wakemed Raleigh Campus in Raleigh at about $1,077. By metro, Winston-Salem has the lowest median ($5,863). Freestanding ambulatory surgery and imaging centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data - ask your doctor whether one is an option.

Why is an appendectomy so much cheaper at some North Carolina hospitals?

Prices vary up to 63.9× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In North Carolina, the median cash (self-pay) price is $5,863 versus a median negotiated rate of $5,668 - about 1× higher. Asking for the cash price or your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.

How much will I actually pay out of pocket for an appendectomy in North Carolina?

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network - not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.

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