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National price data · 1,941 hospitals

Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) cost

What a gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) costs across the U.S. — and the fair price to aim for.

Pillar 1 · The BaseRate™ CompositeHow 1.00× Fair BaseRate Works: Raw price averages unfairly penalize hospitals in high-wage cities or trauma centers treating sicker patients. We adjust for local CMS hospital wage levels and patient complexity first. A 1.00× score means right at the fair price average, 0.85× means 15% cheaper than fair market, and 1.30× means 30% above fair market.Near Fair BaseRate Benchmark
1.00×vs. Fair Market Price
Position vs. 1.00× Fair PriceRight at U.S. Average (0%) 1.00× (center of the bar) is the U.S. fair price average after accounting for local hospital wages and patient complexity. Left of center (<1.00×) is below fair price; right of center (>1.00×) is above fair price.

Typical commercial prices here match the fair market benchmark (1.00×) after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.

Pillar 2 · VeriRate™ Data TrustHow VeriRate™ (0–100) Works: Hospitals are legally required to publish machine-readable price files, but some bury fake $0.01 numbers or omit cash discounts. VeriRate audits each file across 5 checks (hover any badge below to see what it tests).86/100 · Verified
86/100Hover Any Check Below to See How Prices Were Audited
File Completeness90Provenance (File Completeness): Checks whether the hospital published a complete, up-to-date machine-readable price file with valid CPT and MS-DRG billing codes instead of leaving blanks.
Price Logic88Coherence (Price Logic): Checks whether the hospital’s numbers make basic sense — e.g., self-pay cash price is lower than gross list price, with no fake $0.01 or $999,999 placeholder numbers.
Peer Alignment86Concordance (Peer Alignment): Checks whether reported prices sit in a realistic range compared to Medicare and nearby hospitals rather than wild 100× unit errors.
Clean Billing83Regularity (Clean Billing): Checks whether rates are structured consistently across procedures without erratic statistical spikes or hidden unbundled facility fees.
Real Cash Discount84Cash Honesty (Real Cash Discount): Checks whether the hospital offers a genuine self-pay cash discount that beats or matches commercial insurance rates instead of billing full sticker price.
Pillar 3 · Clinical Quality & ER SpeedChecks whether higher hospital prices actually buy better clinical quality — combining CMS Star Ratings, hospital safety scores, and emergency room wait times.Regional Value Leader
CMS Star RatingNot RatedOfficial CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating (1 to 5 stars) summarizing mortality, safety of care, readmissions, and patient experience.
Safety ScoreNot ScoredComposite patient safety score (0–100) derived from CMS hospital-acquired infection rates (CLABSI, CAUTI, MRSA, C. diff), surgical complications, and HCAHPS surveys.
Typical ER WaitNo ER DataMedian minutes patients spent in the emergency department before leaving from the visit, as reported to CMS Timely and Effective Care.

Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.

Behavioral Pricing FingerprintMedian-Gamed · High Captive Markup

Loss-Leader / Captive Ancillary Cross-Subsidizer

Greater Baltimore Medical Center prices routine shoppable procedures near 0.7× Medicare (p50 0.72×) while skewing captive emergency, lab, and upper-quartile codes to 1.2× Medicare (p75 0.91×, +26% upper-tail jump). Patients scheduling elective outpatient care can capture competitive rates, but emergency and ancillary bills require strict line-item auditing.

#1 of 5 in MD · 1st State Percentile#99 of 3,385 in U.S. · 2nd National Percentile
Advantage

Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)

  • Elective shoppable care is priced 36% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.64×)
  • Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 6% of shoppable procedures (25/100 Cash Honesty)
  • 5-Star CMS clinical rating with 77% patient recommendation (70/100 safety score)
  • IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (48.5% AGB cap)
Watchout

Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)

  • Even at low-cost facilities (1.00× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
  • Captive ER (1.0×) & laboratory (0.9×) services average 1.71× higher multiples than routine shoppable care (0.7×)
  • Upper-quartile procedures (Q75 0.91×) jump +26% above the median procedure ratio (Q50 0.72×)
  • Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 1.8× Medicare (49¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Front-Door ShoppableElective / Imaging
0.7× Medicare

Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.

Back-Door Captive & ER1.71× Divergence
1.2× Medicare

Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.

Quantile Tail Spread+26% Upper Tail
Q25 0.41× · Q50 0.72× · Q75 0.91×

Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.

Select any lens to inspect department markups, federal cost accounting, or insurer discounts.
Department & Integrity Multiples (vs. CMS Medicare Cost Anchor) Green ≤1.3× · Teal 1.3–1.8× · Amber 1.8–2.5× · Rose >2.5×
Front-Door Shoppable CareFront-Door Shoppable
0.7× MedicareGood
Outpatient Surgery & ORBack-Door Captive
0.5× MedicareGood
Diagnostic Imaging (CT/MRI)Front-Door Shoppable
0.8× MedicareGood
Back-Door Captive ER VisitsBack-Door Captive
1.0× MedicareGood
Inpatient Lab & PathologyBack-Door Captive
0.9× MedicareGood
Specialty & Infusion Drugs (J-Codes)Back-Door Captive
1.1× MedicareGood
Self-Pay Cash Honesty & 501(r)Integrity & Outcomes
6% Cash Edge · 25/100Watchout
CMS Clinical Safety & Star ValueIntegrity & Outcomes
5 CMS · 70/100Fair
National Geographic Price Intelligence · 50-State + DC/PR Cartogram

National State Price Index Heatmap · Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic)

State commercial price index vs. U.S. median (1.00×) and average Medicare multiple across all 53 priced states & territories

<0.93× Below Fair Price 0.93–1.05× Near Average 1.05–1.18× Elevated >1.18× High-Cost State
IA0.35×2.7× MedME0.35×2.0× MedVT0.35×1.8× MedWY0.35×2.8× MedCT0.41×3.9× MedMI0.52×5.0× MedMT0.58×5.6× MedNE0.61×5.9× MedMD0.69×6.7× MedPR0.77×1.1× MedAK0.81×7.8× MedKS0.82×8.0× MedOR0.82×8.0× MedID0.85×8.2× MedLA0.88×8.5× MedAL0.89×8.6× MedNY0.90×8.7× MedNC0.92×8.9× MedAR0.93×9.0× MedMN0.93×9.0× MedMO0.93×9.0× MedKY0.94×9.1× MedTN0.94×9.1× MedHI0.96×9.2× MedOH0.96×9.3× MedND0.97×9.4× MedSD0.97×9.4× MedMS0.98×9.4× MedWV0.98×9.5× MedPA0.99×9.6× MedTX0.99×9.6× MedSC1.00×9.6× MedUT1.00×9.7× MedOK1.01×9.8× MedVA1.02×9.8× MedNM1.03×10.0× MedCO1.04×10.0× MedIN1.05×10.1× MedAZ1.06×10.2× MedIL1.06×10.3× MedNV1.06×10.2× MedFL1.07×10.3× MedGA1.09×10.5× MedNJ1.14×11.0× MedMA1.16×11.2× MedWI1.18×11.4× MedCA1.27×12.2× MedNH1.27×12.3× MedDC1.31×1.9× MedDE1.35×13.0× MedRI1.38×13.4× MedWA1.84×17.8× Med
5 Lowest-Price States (Confounder-Isolated Value Leaders)
IA0.35×(2.7×)ME0.35×(2.0×)VT0.35×(1.8×)WY0.35×(2.8×)CT0.41×(3.9×)
5 Highest-Markup States (Strict Bill Audit Recommended)
WA1.84×(17.8×)RI1.38×(13.4×)DE1.35×(13.0×)DC1.31×(1.9×)NH1.27×(12.3×)
The BaseRate high confidence
$5,988
the fair national price for a gallbladder removal (laparoscopic)
typically $1,327–$11,562 across 1,941 hospitals · how we calculate it
modeled estimate · not a bill or quote
1,941
hospitals priced
51
states
8.7×
price spread — where shopping matters
9.7×
vs. Medicare

Across 1,941 hospitals in 51 states, a gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) has a fair BaseRate of $5,988 and typically costs $1,327–$11,562. The cheapest state is VT; the priciest is WA.

Cheapest hospitals for a gallbladder removal (laparoscopic)

Gallbladder removal (laparoscopic) cost by state

AK $4,955 6 hospitals AL $5,442 33 hospitals AR $5,663 26 hospitals AZ $6,451 41 hospitals CA $7,737 150 hospitals CO $6,346 36 hospitals CT $2,495 10 hospitals DE $8,232 3 hospitals FL $6,534 111 hospitals GA $6,654 50 hospitals HI $5,837 9 hospitals IA $1,709 49 hospitals ID $5,163 14 hospitals IL $6,478 68 hospitals IN $6,396 59 hospitals KS $5,034 29 hospitals KY $5,766 28 hospitals LA $5,357 39 hospitals MA $7,088 22 hospitals MD $4,227 2 hospitals ME $1,275 15 hospitals MI $3,182 53 hospitals MN $5,701 40 hospitals MO $5,674 45 hospitals MS $5,964 30 hospitals MT $3,540 10 hospitals NC $5,648 43 hospitals ND $5,951 9 hospitals NE $3,713 40 hospitals NH $7,762 9 hospitals NJ $6,944 46 hospitals NM $6,297 9 hospitals NV $6,448 14 hospitals NY $5,498 51 hospitals OH $5,848 95 hospitals OK $6,194 33 hospitals OR $5,035 20 hospitals PA $6,040 71 hospitals RI $8,444 5 hospitals SC $6,081 37 hospitals SD $5,949 8 hospitals TN $5,759 53 hospitals TX $6,044 205 hospitals UT $6,121 31 hospitals VA $6,222 51 hospitals VT $1,145 6 hospitals WA $11,267 37 hospitals WI $7,222 75 hospitals WV $5,994 9 hospitals WY $1,793 5 hospitals
Inline Bill X-Ray & 501(r) Calculator 501(c)(3) Nonprofit · Free Care ≤200% FPL · AGB Cap 36.3%

Audit a Bill or Quote at U.S. Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)

Fair BaseRate™ $5,988
Medicare Rate $3,473
Self-Pay Cash Request Quote
Insurer Median $6,109
Pre-filled with U.S. Hospital Benchmark’s charged/list benchmark
Screened against 2026 HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines
2026 FPL: $15,650 + $5,500 per additional person
Step 1 · 501(r) Charity Care Check 501(r) AGB Cap: $5,322 (274% FPL)

Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $5,322

At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $5,322).

Step 2 · Cash vs. Insurance Arbitrage Request Prompt-Pay Quote

Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible

Ask U.S. Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.

Step 3 · Fair BaseRate Target +$8,674 Above Fair BaseRate

Negotiate Toward $5,988 Fair BaseRate ($3,473 Medicare)

Your bill ($14,662) is $8,674 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($5,988) and 4.2× the $3,473 Medicare rate.

1-Click Factual Dispute Summary: Copy a citation-backed benchmark memo (with CMS CCN, CPT code, Medicare reference, Fair BaseRate, and 26 U.S.C. § 501(r) calculations) to paste into patient-portal messages or billing appeals.
Care-Setting Arbitrage, Bilateral SVD Insurer Leverage & Regional Alternatives

How to Pay Less Nearby: Freestanding Centers, Insurer Leverage & Outpatient Savings

Inpatient MS-DRG vs. Outpatient CPT Care-Setting Savings

Laparoscopic Gallbladder RemovalDRG 419 vs CPT 47562
Inpatient: $54,380Outpatient: $14,196 Save $40,184 outpatient

Clinical Scope Note:Inpatient MS-DRG reflects a multi-day hospital admission (room, nursing, higher clinical acuity); outpatient CPT reflects the outpatient facility fee for clinically eligible low-acuity patients and excludes separate surgeon and anesthesia professional fees.