Surgery Cost Blog

Expert guides on surgery costs, insurance coverage, financing options, and tips for managing medical expenses. We break down what procedures really cost and how to plan for them.

Latest Articles

Does Medicare Cover Laser Cataract Surgery? What the Laser Fee Buys

2026-10-07

Medicare pays the same for cataract surgery with a blade or a laser, and the laser can't be billed to you for the covered steps. Here is what a $1,000+ laser fee can legally pay for.

Hernia Surgery Cost by State: 2026 CMS Data from 2,220 Hospitals

2026-09-29

CMS outpatient data from 2,220 hospitals shows hernia surgery averages $2,410 in Vermont vs. $6,954 in California — and billed charges diverge far wider for uninsured patients in Florida and Nevada.

The Most Overpriced Medical Procedures: CMS Markup Data

2026-09-22

CMS data from 17,000+ hospitals shows hernia repair bills 8.9x Medicare's actual payment — while open-heart surgery 'only' 5.7x. Here's what the markup ranking reveals.

Do High-Volume Hospitals Charge Less for Surgery?

2026-09-04

We checked 1,310 hospitals in Medicare's data: how many knee replacements a hospital does barely predicts what it bills. The sticker is nearly random.

Why Surgery Is Billed 4x More in Some States (Not Cost of Living)

2026-08-28

A knee replacement is billed $28,595 in Maryland and $120,428 in Nevada. Real Medicare data shows a state's cost of living barely predicts its hospital prices.