# Hysterectomy: Cost, Coverage, and What to Expect

Source: https://ourhealthnetwork.com/procedure-costs/hysterectomy
Last reviewed: 2026-04-20
Data: CMS Hospital and Outpatient pricing, CPT/HCPCS code mapping

## Quick answer

Medicare pays surgeons about $560 for a laparoscopic hysterectomy, but that figure covers only the surgeon. Your full bill, including facility fee, anesthesia, and pathology, typically runs $8,000 to $30,000 depending on insurance and where it is done.

## What it is

A laparoscopic hysterectomy removes the uterus through small incisions in the abdomen using a thin camera called a laparoscope. In some cases, the fallopian tubes and ovaries come out at the same time. The code used for this page (58571) specifically covers hysterectomies where the uterus weighs 250 grams or less, which is the typical size range for a non-enlarged uterus.

- **Surgery time:** 1 to 3 hours under general anesthesia
- **Incisions:** Usually 3 to 4 small cuts in the lower abdomen, each less than half an inch
- **Hospital stay:** Most patients go home the same day or after one overnight stay
- **Uterus removal:** The uterus is detached and then pulled out through the vagina or a small abdominal opening
- **Anesthesia:** General anesthesia is standard

Laparoscopic is one of several approaches a surgeon can choose. The others are abdominal (one larger cut), vaginal (no abdominal cuts), and robotic-assisted (laparoscopic with robotic arms). Each has different recovery times, costs, and billing codes. This page covers the standard laparoscopic approach for a normal-sized uterus. If your surgeon plans to remove ovaries, use robotics, or the uterus is larger, the billing code and the price are different.

## When it is done

A hysterectomy is a permanent treatment, so it is usually considered after less invasive options have been tried or ruled out. Your doctor may also recommend it outright when a condition is unlikely to respond to anything else, such as cancer or heavy bleeding that has not stopped with hormones or an IUD.

1. **Fibroids** are causing heavy bleeding, pain, or pressure and have not responded to medication or less invasive procedures
2. **Endometriosis** is severe and other treatments have failed
3. **Uterine prolapse** is significant enough to affect daily life
4. **Abnormal bleeding** cannot be controlled by hormonal therapy, a progesterone IUD, or endometrial ablation
5. **Precancerous or cancerous changes** are found in the uterus, cervix, or ovaries
6. **Chronic pelvic pain** has a clear uterine cause and other treatments have not worked

Alternatives worth asking about include uterine fibroid embolization, myomectomy (which removes fibroids but leaves the uterus), endometrial ablation, and a hormonal IUD. For cancer indications, hysterectomy is often the clear first choice. For benign conditions, a second opinion before committing is reasonable.

## What you pay

The $560 Medicare figure throws a lot of people off. That is only what the surgeon gets paid. A real hysterectomy bill includes the facility fee, anesthesiologist, pathologist, and pre-op workup, and those add up fast. Total Medicare payment across all billing parties for an outpatient laparoscopic hysterectomy typically lands in the $6,000 to $12,000 range. Commercial plans generally pay 2 to 4 times what Medicare pays, which is why a billed total of $25,000 or more is common.

**If you are on Medicare:**

- Most laparoscopic hysterectomies are done outpatient, so **Part B** handles it, not Part A
- Part B has a **$257 deductible in 2025**, then you pay 20% coinsurance with no yearly out-of-pocket maximum
- If you need an overnight stay or are admitted, the **Part A inpatient deductible is $1,676 in 2025** for the first 60 days
- **Medigap (supplemental) plans** cover most or all of that 20% coinsurance, which is why buying one matters so much for procedures like this

**If you have commercial insurance:**

- Expect **total billed charges of $15,000 to $30,000**, with your insurer paying most of it
- Your out-of-pocket is usually **$1,500 to $6,500**, driven by your deductible and coinsurance
- Most plans have an **annual out-of-pocket maximum**, so the bill stops growing once you hit it
- Verify every provider is in-network. The anesthesiologist and pathologist are the most common out-of-network surprises

**If you are uninsured or paying cash:**

- Ambulatory surgery centers often quote **bundled cash-pay prices of $10,000 to $15,000** that include surgeon, facility, and anesthesia in one number
- Hospitals may ask for $20,000 or more, but most will **negotiate** if you ask for a self-pay discount before the procedure
- Hospital **financial assistance (charity care)** programs often cover patients under 200% to 400% of the federal poverty level
- A single itemized bill is easier to negotiate than multiple separate ones, so request consolidation up front

## Anatomy of the bill

A hysterectomy is never a single charge. Even a clean, same-day case generates bills from four to six separate entities, and each one arrives on its own timeline.

- **Surgeon fee:** The gynecologist's professional fee. Medicare pays about $560 for this code; commercial insurers typically pay $1,500 to $4,000.
- **Facility fee:** The single largest line item. The hospital or surgery center charges for operating room time, nursing, recovery, and supplies. Commercial facility fees for laparoscopic hysterectomy run $8,000 to $20,000. Ambulatory surgery centers usually come in lower than hospitals.
- **Anesthesia:** The anesthesiologist or CRNA bills separately. Expect $800 to $2,500 on commercial plans. This is one of the most common out-of-network surprise billing sources.
- **Pathology:** The uterus (and ovaries or tubes, if removed) is sent to a lab for review. The pathologist bills the interpretation, usually $200 to $600.
- **Pre-op visits and imaging:** Office visits, labs, possibly an ultrasound or MRI, and a pre-anesthesia clearance visit. Can add $500 to $2,000 depending on what is ordered.
- **Post-op follow-up:** One or two office visits are typically bundled into the surgeon's fee (this is called the global surgical period, 90 days), but additional visits for complications bill separately.

## Cost by state

Medicare surgeon fees for laparoscopic hysterectomy vary by roughly 3x across the country. Delaware has the lowest average surgeon payment at $264, while New York is highest at $751. Other pricey states include New Hampshire ($726), Connecticut ($718), and Hawaii ($712). Volume is concentrated in Florida (3,099 services), California (2,545), Arizona (2,212), and Pennsylvania (2,098). These are surgeon fees only, so the full-episode cost spread across states is wider once facility fees and commercial negotiation enter the picture.

**Why costs vary by state:**

- **Medicare's geographic adjustment (GPCI)** modifies payments for local wage, rent, and malpractice costs, which explains most of the Medicare variation
- **Commercial insurance negotiation** adds a larger layer: hospital systems in states with less competition can demand 3x to 5x the Medicare rate
- **Cost of living and labor** drives facility fees, especially in coastal metros
- **State billing transparency laws** in a handful of states (Colorado, Texas, New York) give patients better access to price data, which tends to put downward pressure on hospital pricing

## Office vs facility

This procedure is almost always done in a facility setting. Medicare data shows 14,359 services in facility settings versus only 136 in office-based settings, which is less than 1% of volume. Any laparoscopic hysterectomy requires general anesthesia, sterile operating room conditions, and recovery monitoring, so true office-based cases are rare edge cases.

The real choice for most patients is between a **hospital outpatient department** and an **ambulatory surgery center (ASC)**. Both are facility settings, but their pricing is very different. Hospital facility fees are frequently 2x to 3x higher than ASC facility fees for the same procedure.

**How to decide between hospital and ASC:**

- **Pick an ASC when:** You are otherwise healthy, your uterus is a normal size, your surgeon operates at both locations, and cost is a meaningful factor
- **Pick a hospital when:** You have significant heart, lung, or bleeding-risk conditions, your case is expected to be complex (large fibroids, endometriosis, cancer workup), or you may need an overnight admission
- **Always confirm:** That both the surgeon and the facility are in your insurance network, since ASC networks can differ from hospital networks

## Who performs the procedure

Most laparoscopic hysterectomies on Medicare patients are performed by gynecologic oncologists and general OB/GYN surgeons. In the Medicare data, gynecologic oncologists account for the largest share (413 providers, over half of cases), which reflects that many of these cases involve a cancer or precancer workup. General OB/GYN surgeons cover most of the rest. For a benign condition like fibroids or heavy bleeding, a standard OB/GYN with high laparoscopic volume is usually the right specialist.

**What to look for when choosing a surgeon:**

- **Volume:** Surgeons who perform at least 30 to 50 laparoscopic hysterectomies per year have better complication rates
- **Focus:** Ask what percentage of their practice is minimally invasive gyn surgery; higher is better for this procedure
- **Fellowship training:** For complex cases (large fibroids, endometriosis, cancer), fellowship training in gyn oncology or minimally invasive gyn surgery matters
- **Board certification:** Verify current certification through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- **Second opinion threshold:** For benign conditions, get one. The decision to remove the uterus is permanent, and alternative treatments exist
- **Hospital affiliation:** A surgeon who operates at both a hospital and an ASC gives you cost flexibility

The Medicare data also shows 97 physician assistants billing this code at an average payment of $92. PAs do not perform the surgery as primary operators; they appear as first assistants during operations and bill a small assist fee. Do not interpret this as PAs leading hysterectomies.

## How to shop for the best price

Hysterectomy is a procedure where advance shopping actually works. Insurance companies, hospitals, and ASCs all know the billing codes in advance, and federal law now requires hospitals to give you a price estimate on request.

1. **Request a Good Faith Estimate in writing.** Under the No Surprises Act (2022), hospitals and facilities must give uninsured and self-pay patients a Good Faith Estimate that itemizes expected charges. Insured patients can request an Advanced Explanation of Benefits from their insurer.
2. **Verify every billing party is in-network.** Surgeon, facility, anesthesiologist, and pathologist should all be checked. The anesthesia group is the most common gap.
3. **Compare hospital vs ambulatory surgery center pricing for the same surgeon.** Many surgeons operate at both. Ask your surgeon's scheduler what the cash or contracted price difference is. It can be tens of thousands of dollars.
4. **Ask about bundled pricing.** Some ASCs and hospitals offer a single bundled fee that includes surgeon, facility, and anesthesia. Bundles tend to be cheaper and easier to predict than itemized billing.
5. **Ask for a self-pay discount.** If you are uninsured or have a high deductible plan, hospitals and ASCs commonly offer 30% to 50% off list price for patients who pay in advance.
6. **Check hospital charity care and payment plans.** Most nonprofit hospitals have financial assistance programs. Income thresholds vary by state, but many go up to 400% of the federal poverty level.
7. **Get a second opinion on the clinical plan.** For benign conditions like fibroids or heavy bleeding, a myomectomy, uterine fibroid embolization, endometrial ablation, or hormonal IUD may work and cost less. This is both a cost and clinical question.

Red flags to watch for: a vague estimate that only includes the surgeon's fee, a facility that will not name an in-network anesthesia group before the day of surgery, or a quote that does not mention pathology. Push for specifics in writing before you sign consent.

## Surprise billing risks

Hysterectomy bills blow up in predictable places. The surgeon is almost always in-network because you chose them. The landmines are the providers you never picked: the anesthesiologist the hospital assigned, the pathologist who happens to work at that lab, or a radiology reading of a pre-op scan. The No Surprises Act (2022) now protects you from most out-of-network surprise bills at in-network facilities, but enforcement falls on you to push back when bills arrive.

**Most common surprise-billing sources for this procedure:**

- **Anesthesiologist or CRNA** who is not in your insurance network even though the hospital is
- **Pathologist** reading the uterus specimen at an out-of-network lab
- **Assistant surgeon** or first assistant physician assistant who bills separately
- **Radiologist** interpreting a pre-op ultrasound or MRI at an out-of-network reading center
- **Durable medical equipment** or supplies billed after discharge at out-of-network rates

**If you get a surprise bill:**

- **Do not pay it immediately.** Request an itemized bill with billing codes. Vague summaries are easier to dispute when you have the line items.
- **File a No Surprises Act dispute** at cms.gov/nosurprises if you were balance-billed at an in-network facility
- **Contact your state insurance commissioner** if the federal protection does not apply to your plan (some self-funded employer plans opt out)
- **Negotiate directly with the provider.** Even when a bill is legitimate, many out-of-network providers will accept 30% to 50% less if you ask

## Total recovery cost

Most women go home the same day or after one night. Expect to take it easy for the first week, with no lifting over 10 pounds and no driving while on pain medication. Light desk work is often possible at 2 weeks. Full recovery, including lifting restrictions and return to exercise, takes 4 to 6 weeks. Compared to open abdominal hysterectomy, laparoscopic recovery is roughly half the time, which is a major reason surgeons and patients prefer it when the anatomy allows.

**Add-on costs to budget for:**

- **Pain medication:** Prescription opioids for 3 to 7 days, typically $20 to $50. Plan for over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen after that.
- **Antibiotics:** If prescribed, usually $10 to $40 with insurance
- **Time off work:** 2 to 6 weeks depending on job physical demands. If you do not have paid medical leave, this is frequently the largest unbudgeted cost.
- **Home help:** Groceries, cleaning, child care, or a family member's time off for the first 1 to 2 weeks
- **Follow-up visits:** Usually one post-op visit is bundled into the surgeon's global fee, but any extra visits for issues like infection or bleeding bill separately at $150 to $400 each
- **Hormone replacement therapy (HRT):** If your ovaries were removed and you are under 50, HRT is often recommended and runs $20 to $100 per month
- **Pelvic floor physical therapy:** Not routine but sometimes recommended, typically $100 to $250 per session for 4 to 8 sessions

Realistically, the full episode including recovery costs and lost wages runs 15% to 25% more than the surgical bill alone. For someone without paid leave, lost wages can exceed the surgical out-of-pocket.

## Variants of this procedure

- Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does a laparoscopic hysterectomy cost with insurance?

With commercial insurance, total billed charges usually run $15,000 to $30,000, and your out-of-pocket typically lands between $1,500 and $6,500 depending on your deductible and coinsurance. Once you hit your annual out-of-pocket maximum, the bill stops growing. Confirm your surgeon, facility, anesthesiologist, and pathologist are all in-network to avoid surprises.

### Does Medicare cover a hysterectomy?

Yes. Medicare Part B covers outpatient laparoscopic hysterectomy when medically necessary. You pay the $257 Part B deductible in 2025, then 20% coinsurance with no annual out-of-pocket cap. A Medigap plan covers most or all of that 20%. Purely elective hysterectomies without a medical indication are not covered.

### How long is recovery from a laparoscopic hysterectomy?

Most women resume light activity in 1 to 2 weeks and return to desk work around the 2-week mark. Full recovery, including lifting and exercise, takes 4 to 6 weeks. Recovery from laparoscopic surgery is roughly half as long as recovery from an open abdominal hysterectomy.

### Is this outpatient or does it require a hospital stay?

The large majority of laparoscopic hysterectomies are outpatient. Patients go home the same day after a few hours of recovery. An overnight stay is only needed when there are complications, significant medical risk factors, or the patient lives far from the hospital.

### How do I avoid a surprise bill?

Confirm in writing that the surgeon, facility, anesthesia group, and pathology lab are all in your insurance network before scheduling. Request a Good Faith Estimate (uninsured) or an Advanced Explanation of Benefits (insured). If a surprise out-of-network bill still arrives from an in-network facility, file a dispute at cms.gov/nosurprises.

### What's the cheapest way to get a hysterectomy?

An ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is usually cheaper than a hospital for the same surgeon, often by 50% or more. If you are uninsured, ask for a bundled cash-pay price that includes surgeon, facility, and anesthesia. Hospital charity care and financial assistance programs can cover much of the cost for patients under 200% to 400% of the federal poverty level.

### Should I consider alternatives before having a hysterectomy?

For benign conditions like fibroids, heavy bleeding, or endometriosis, yes. Myomectomy, uterine fibroid embolization, endometrial ablation, and hormonal IUDs can all treat these conditions while preserving the uterus. For cancer or precancer, hysterectomy is often the clear choice. Get a second opinion for benign indications.

### Where does this cost data come from?

The Medicare figures on this page come from the CMS Medicare Physician and Other Practitioners dataset for HCPCS code 58571. That dataset reports the surgeon's fee only. Commercial insurance and cash-pay ranges are estimated from published payer-negotiated rate data and hospital price transparency disclosures, which vary widely by market.

## Related

- [All procedure cost concepts](https://ourhealthnetwork.com/procedure-costs)
- [Find specialists who perform this procedure](https://ourhealthnetwork.com/find-doctors)
- [Insurance plans that cover this procedure](https://ourhealthnetwork.com/tools/insurance-matcher)