How Much Does a Colonoscopy Cost Without Insurance in 2026?

Updated September 24, 2026. Medicare figures are 2026 national averages from Medicare.gov, checked on that date.

A colonoscopy price has three main parts: the facility fee, the gastroenterologist's fee, and often separate anesthesia and pathology fees if tissue is removed. Where you have it done changes the facility fee more than anything else.

Setting comparison: Medicare's national averages

Medicare's Procedure Price Lookup shows what Medicare pays on average nationally for CPT 45378, diagnostic colonoscopy, in 2026. These are Medicare payment rates, not cash prices, but they are the most consistent public benchmark for comparing settings.

Medicare notes that you may need more than one doctor and additional costs may apply, so anesthesia and pathology can add to these totals. Your local price can be higher or lower.

Screening vs. diagnostic colonoscopy

• Screening checks for cancer when you have no symptoms. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends colorectal cancer screening for adults 45 to 49 (grade B) and 50 to 75 (grade A), and lists colonoscopy every 10 years as one option.
• Diagnostic colonoscopy investigates symptoms or a positive stool test. It is billed differently and cost-sharing can apply.
• Insured under an ACA marketplace plan? HealthCare.gov lists colorectal cancer screening for adults 45 to 75 among preventive services generally covered at no cost when provided in network.
• On Medicare? A screening colonoscopy costs nothing if your provider accepts assignment. If a polyp is removed, you pay 15% coinsurance for the doctor and 15% to the facility, and the Part B deductible does not apply. Medicare also covers a follow-up colonoscopy as a screening test after a positive Medicare-covered stool or blood-based test.

How to choose where to get a colonoscopy

1. Confirm whether it will be billed as screening or diagnostic. Ask the scheduler which CPT code they expect to bill and what happens to the price if a polyp is removed.
2. Ask for an all-inclusive cash price. Name the parts: facility, gastroenterologist, anesthesia, and pathology. Ask which ones bill separately.
3. Compare an ambulatory surgical center with a hospital outpatient department. Medicare's averages above show the facility fee is the part that moves most between settings.
4. Get a Good Faith Estimate in writing. If you are uninsured or self-pay and schedule at least 3 business days ahead, the provider must give you one. It should include facility fees.
5. Check a local benchmark. FAIR Health Consumer is free and shows estimated costs by ZIP code, including for uninsured patients. You can also compare local prices on our colonoscopy cost page.
6. If money is tight, ask about financial assistance. Nonprofit (501(c)(3)) hospitals must have and widely publicize a written financial assistance policy, and HRSA-funded health centers adjust their fees to income and family size. See our charity care guide.

If the bill is higher than the estimate

Uninsured and self-pay patients can use the federal patient-provider dispute process when a bill is at least $400 more than the Good Faith Estimate. You must start within 120 calendar days of the initial bill, and there is a $25 administrative fee, which is deducted from what you owe if the decision goes your way. You cannot dispute without the estimate, so keep it.

Sources

• Medicare.gov, Procedure Price Lookup, CPT 45378. 2026 national averages. Checked September 24, 2026.
• Medicare.gov, Colonoscopies (screening). Checked September 24, 2026.
• U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Colorectal Cancer: Screening (May 18, 2021). Checked September 24, 2026.
• HealthCare.gov, Preventive care benefits for adults. Checked September 24, 2026.
• CMS, Good Faith Estimate guide and Dispute a medical bill. Checked September 24, 2026.
• FAIR Health Consumer, fairhealthconsumer.org. Checked September 24, 2026.
• HRSA Bureau of Primary Health Care, What is a Health Center?. Checked September 24, 2026.
• IRS, Financial assistance policy and emergency medical care policy, Section 501(r)(4). Checked September 24, 2026.