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Cholecystectomy Cost (2026): Average Prices, Typical Range & What You'll Pay

Typical cost

$3,207–$8,883

Sticker price is almost never what patients actually pay.

Your actual cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, and where you are in your plan.

👉 The same Cholecystectomy could cost you $0 or $8,883.

Find out what YOU will pay ↓

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CostKits Data — Cholecystectomy

$1,810–$5,150
National typical range
Median across all 50 states
15×
National price spread
Cheapest vs. most expensive market
3,342
Facilities in our database
93% have observed negotiated rates
50
States with cost data
Updated 2026

CostKits Market Intelligence — Cholecystectomy

Confidence: High
Sources Used
  • CMS Medicare fee schedules (MPFS, OPPS, ASC)
  • Hospital price transparency files
  • Commercial rate relativity model
Estimate Composition
Observed negotiated rates
95%
Medicare baseline
5%
Estimated relativity
0%
258 geographic markets analyzed
3,342 facilities in dataset
50 states + 208 metros

Where You Get a Cholecystectomy Matters

Hospital outpatient departments typically charge 2–4× more than ASCs or independent centers for the same procedure — same outcome, very different bill.

Hospital Outpatient Department

Hospital Outpatient Department typically carries a higher price for a cholecystectomy. Facility fee billed separately from professional fee. Provider-based billing adds facility overhead. You can shop here — call ahead and ask for a self-pay or cash quote.

Ambulatory Surgery Center

Ambulatory Surgery Center typically carries a mid-range price for a cholecystectomy. Typically 40–60% less than hospital OP for surgical procedures. Anesthesia billed separately. You can shop here — call ahead and ask for a self-pay or cash quote.

Hospital Inpatient

Hospital Inpatient typically carries the highest price for a cholecystectomy. DRG-based billing bundles most services. Professional fees billed separately. Length of stay drives cost.

Cholecystectomy Cost by Type

Which type your doctor orders changes the billing code — and what you pay. Here's how the common types differ.

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

A recognized variation that can change the billing code and what you owe. Most common. Same-day or 1-night stay.

Laparoscopic with Cholangiography

A recognized variation that can change the billing code and what you owe. Adds bile duct imaging — higher facility fee.

Open Cholecystectomy

A recognized variation that can change the billing code and what you owe. Used for complex cases. Longer hospitalization — typically inpatient.

What's Actually on a Cholecystectomy Bill?

A single cholecystectomy can generate multiple separate bills. Each provider bills independently and they often arrive weeks apart. Here's what to expect at a Hospital Outpatient:

Billing Component Always? Typical Amount Separate Bill? Notes
Facility Fee Always $1,580–$5,554 Often
Surgeon Fee Always — Usually
Anesthesia Always $420–$1,120 Usually

Your Out-of-Pocket by Insurance Scenario

The allowed amount is not what you pay. Your real cost depends on where you are in your plan year. Here are the five most common scenarios for cholecystectomy:

Scenario Est. Out-of-Pocket Key Factor
HDHP, deductible not yet met $1,810–$5,150 You pay the full negotiated rate until your deductible is satisfied
20% coinsurance (deductible met) $360–$1,030 Plan pays 80%, you pay 20% of the allowed amount
OOP maximum already met $0 Plan covers 100% of in-network costs for the remainder of the plan year
Medicare (Part B) ~$360 20% coinsurance after Part B deductible; Advantage plans may use a flat copay
Medicaid $0–$5 Nominal copay only; varies by state Medicaid program

These are illustrations based on the national median range. Your actual cost depends on your specific plan. Forecast your exact number below ↓

How CostKits Helps With Cholecystectomy Costs

Most price websites stop at a national average. CostKits helps you estimate what you will actually pay for a cholecystectomy:

  • Your deductible exposure — how much of the cholecystectomy you'll owe before insurance starts paying
  • Your coinsurance — the percentage you keep paying after the deductible is met
  • Your likely out-of-pocket cost — a personalized estimate based on your plan, not a national average
  • Your future healthcare spending — so you can plan for the rest of the plan year, not just this one bill

That's the difference between knowing a cholecystectomy "costs a few hundred to a few thousand dollars" and knowing what it costs you.

Forecast your out-of-pocket cost

Quick navigation: · Healthcare Cost Guides · How deductibles affect your cost · Cholecystectomy costs by state →

Cholecystectomy is gallbladder removal surgery, most often performed laparoscopically for gallstones or gallbladder disease. It is one of the most common elective surgeries in the U.S.

How to Use This Data

These prices come from hospital price transparency files that hospitals are required by law to publish. They represent the range of what hospitals declare as their charges — actual negotiated rates with insurers are typically 40–60% lower.

If you have insurance: Your out-of-pocket cost is determined by your deductible, coinsurance, and your insurer's negotiated rate with the specific facility. Call your insurer for a pre-service cost estimate before scheduling.

If you are uninsured: Call 2–3 facilities directly and ask for their self-pay or cash-pay rate. Most facilities offer 20–50% discounts off list prices for upfront payment.

If you received a bill: Upload it to CostKits to compare what you were charged against what other facilities in your state reported.

This Procedure Is Shoppable — Choosing the Right Facility Can Save Thousands

Cholecystectomy is elective and schedulable. You have time to compare facilities — and hospital outpatient prices often run 2–4× higher than Hospital OP, ASC for identical clinical outcomes.

How to shop: Ask your doctor for the CPT code, then call 2–3 facilities and request an out-of-pocket cost estimate. Confirm your insurance is accepted. If uninsured, ask for the cash-pay rate — it's usually 20–50% below the list price.

Watch for Separate Bills from These Providers

A cholecystectomy involves multiple providers: the facility, the operating physician, and often Anesthesia. These providers bill independently — and each one may or may not be in your network, even if the facility is.

Action step: Before your procedure, ask the facility coordinator to confirm that all participating providers are in-network on your plan. The No Surprises Act (2022) protects you from unexpected out-of-network bills in many scenarios — but not all. Request a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) if you ask for one.

Who performs this: Cholecystectomy is typically performed by a General Surgery. The specialist's professional fee is billed separately from the facility charge — you will likely receive separate bills from each.

Common Cholecystectomy Billing Surprises

The sticker price is rarely the whole story. These are the charges that most often surprise people after a cholecystectomy — knowing them in advance is how you catch errors and avoid out-of-network bills.

You May Receive Two Bills

Most cholecystectomy episodes produce a facility charge and a separate professional (surgeon) charge. Even when the facility is in-network, the surgeon can be out-of-network.

The Surgeon Bills Separately

The surgeon bills independently from the facility and may arrive later as its own statement.

Anesthesia May Be Billed Separately

Anesthesia is frequently provided by a separate group and may be out-of-network even when the facility is not.

Facility Fees

Hospital facility fees are typically far higher than ambulatory or independent settings for the identical service.

Out-of-Network Surgeon

Confirm the surgeon — not just the facility — is in your network before the procedure.

Explore Cholecystectomy Costs

How Insurance Affects the Cost of This Procedure

Understanding these insurance concepts can help you estimate what you may actually pay for this procedure.

Cholecystectomy by Type & Body Part

Costs vary significantly by which cholecystectomy variant you need. Select a type to see state-by-state pricing and billing details:

Cheapest States for Cholecystectomy

The 10 lowest-cost states for cholecystectomy, by typical facility price range. Use these as a benchmark — even within a low-cost state, an independent imaging center usually beats a hospital outpatient department.

  1. 1. Maryland $828–$1,715
  2. 2. Delaware $636–$2,838
  3. 3. Iowa $1,614–$2,748
  4. 4. Michigan $1,541–$2,846
  5. 5. Georgia $1,733–$3,051
  6. 6. Massachusetts $1,783–$3,141
  7. 7. Pennsylvania $1,507–$3,433
  8. 8. Connecticut $2,375–$2,652
  9. 9. North Dakota $1,667–$3,582
  10. 10. Nevada $1,589–$3,764

Most Expensive States for Cholecystectomy

The 10 highest-cost states for cholecystectomy. If you're in one of these, shopping facilities and asking for the cash-pay rate matters most.

  1. 1. Wyoming $2,328–$9,573
  2. 2. North Carolina $5,416–$6,423
  3. 3. Hawaii $2,428–$8,440
  4. 4. South Carolina $4,972–$5,815
  5. 5. New Mexico $3,114–$7,515
  6. 6. Arkansas $2,272–$7,092
  7. 7. California $1,880–$7,203
  8. 8. South Dakota $3,394–$5,676
  9. 9. Alabama $2,768–$6,239
  10. 10. Mississippi $2,032–$6,941

Cholecystectomy Cost by State

Data source: CMS Hospital Price Transparency Machine-Readable Files. Prices represent hospital-declared charges and do not include physician fees, anesthesia, or other separately-billed services.

What will you pay for Cholecystectomy?

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About the Author

John Caruso, FSA, MAAA

Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.

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Published May 15, 2026 · Updated May 15, 2026

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