Breathing tube insertion (intubation) Cost

Breathing tube insertion (intubation) is a hospital service. Prices are from 2286 US hospitals across 52 states, from their machine-readable files.

$482median cash price · 2286 hospitals, 52 statestypically $191–$1,157 depending on the hospital

≈ 3.6× Medicare · High vs MedicareFind hospitals near you

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)

$852

Cash / self-pay

$482

Insurer-negotiated

$389

Medicare pays

$133

$191$1,157

Median cash $482 · Medicare $133 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)

Is this a fair price?

1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $482 — about 3.6× the Medicare rate ($133). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($266).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $852 list price could save about $370 (43%).

Estimate what you’ll pay

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

Lowest cash prices

See negotiated rates for your insurer:

Hospital	Location	Cash	Insurer	CMS rating	ER wait	Readmit
Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital	Camden, NJ	$74	—	★ 2/5	161 min	15.4%
Virtua Willingboro Hospital	Willingboro, NJ	$74	—	★ 3/5	181 min	14.8%
St Francis Memorial Hospital	West Point, NE	$75	$75	★ 2/5	117 min	15.2%
Adventist Healthcare Shady Grove Medical Center	Rockville, MD	$75	$76	★ 2/5	200 min	14.5%
Holy Cross Germantown Hospital	Germantown, MD	$75	$74	★ 1/5	244 min	15.4%
Jefferson Hospital	Louisville, GA	$76	$206	—	92 min	15.2%
Jefferson Hospital	Jefferson Hills, PA	$76	$206	★ 4/5	172 min	15.4%
Frederick Health Hospital	Frederick, MD	$77	—	★ 3/5	230 min	14.1%
Medstar Franklin Square Medical Center	Rosedale, MD	$79	$81	★ 3/5	384 min	15.0%
Bsa Hospital	Amarillo, TX	$81	$566	★ 2/5	217 min	14.8%
Community Memorial Hospital, Inc	Hamilton, NY	$81	$26	★ 4/5	141 min	15.3%
Casey County Hospital	Liberty, KY	$86	—	★ 3/5	100 min	15.2%
Medstar Southern Maryland Hospital Center	Clinton, MD	$86	$88	★ 2/5	386 min	15.0%
O'connor Hospital	Delhi, NY	$87	$188	—	88 min	14.7%
Canonsburg General Hospital	Canonsburg, PA	$88	$208	★ 3/5	155 min	15.6%
Forbes Hospital	Monroeville, PA	$88	$223	★ 3/5	252 min	16.5%
Highline Medical Center	Burien, WA	$89	$89	★ 4/5	238 min	14.5%
Adventist Health Tulare	Tulare, CA	$89	$129	★ 3/5	195 min	15.0%
Grove City Medical Center	Grove City, PA	$92	$208	★ 4/5	147 min	14.1%
Adventist Healthcare White Oak Medical Center	Silver Spring, MD	$92	$94	★ 3/5	309 min	14.9%
University of Md Capital Region Medical Center	Upper Marlboro, MD	$92	—	★ 1/5	258 min	15.2%
Tidalhealth Peninsula Regional, Inc	Salisbury, MD	$94	$96	★ 4/5	176 min	13.8%
Medstar Montgomery Medical Center	Olney, MD	$94	$96	★ 3/5	254 min	14.4%
Medstar Saint Mary's Hospital	Leonardtown, MD	$95	$97	★ 4/5	254 min	13.3%
Seton Medical Center Harker Heights	Harker Heights, TX	$95	$371	★ 4/5	174 min	16.3%

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated August 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

What insurers pay for Breathing tube insertion (intubation)

Median in-network negotiated rate by insurer, across hospitals that publish it (cheapest first). Your actual rate depends on your specific plan and deductible. Cash / self-pay for comparison: $482; Medicare pays $133.

Insurer	Hospitals	Negotiated median
Medicaid	336	$102 $18 – $322
Amerigroup	166	$130 $88 – $1,603
Medicare	552	$134 $22 – $322
Univera	15	$142 $114 – $151
Independent Health	39	$145 $53 – $358
Geisinger	69	$183 $88 – $1,153
Highmark	129	$208 $48 – $764
AmeriHealth	218	$216 $76 – $1,603
Tricare / VA	411	$223 $114 – $645
Devoted Health	166	$225 $141 – $276
Molina Healthcare	568	$231 $94 – $1,586
Priority Health	58	$236 $125 – $713
Centene / Ambetter	788	$238 $88 – $1,150
Humana	1025	$245 $124 – $2,569
UCare	81	$256 $133 – $580
UPMC Health Plan	105	$266 $101 – $1,404
Blue Cross Blue Shield	1300	$296 $85 – $1,515
Anthem	547	$299 $79 – $3,547
Kaiser Permanente	238	$305 $92 – $1,270
HealthPartners	266	$315 $107 – $768
Harvard Pilgrim	45	$358 $143 – $682
UnitedHealthcare	1514	$375 $120 – $2,174
Workers' Comp / No-Fault	127	$412 $190 – $1,096
Sanford Health Plan	78	$416 $164 – $717
MVP Health Care	85	$418 $129 – $1,550
AvMed	57	$420 $220 – $8,971
SelectHealth	43	$422 $222 – $4,882
Health Net	304	$424 $84 – $1,710
Security Health Plan	65	$425 $225 – $696
Medica	231	$437 $177 – $967
Coventry	149	$490 $166 – $1,167
Aetna	1368	$495 $133 – $3,189
MultiPlan / PHCS network	812	$661 $221 – $1,395
EmblemHealth	62	$774 $275 – $12,590
Bright Health	56	$827 $338 – $2,644
Cigna	1164	$857 $223 – $6,212
Healthcare Highways	46	$2,069 $372 – $14,320
Oscar Health	219	$2,236 $247 – $3,549

Negotiated rates are from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); payer names are normalized to major brands, so a brand may span several plans. Estimates — confirm with your insurer.

Where it’s cheapest

State	Median cash
Maryland	$94
Puerto Rico	$150
Tennessee	$235
Rhode Island	$253
Mississippi	$257
New Hampshire	$278

Prices by city

Prices by state

Doctors who perform this

Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.

Clinician	Specialty	Location	Medicare services
Faisal Anwar, MD	Critical Care (Intensivists)	Chandler, AZ	85
Syed Mustafa, MD	Pulmonary Disease	Hot Springs, AR	50
Mustafa Abdulmahdi, M.D.	Internal Medicine	Baltimore, MD	48
Harjoth Malli, M.D.	Critical Care (Intensivists)	Visalia, CA	44
David Green, M.D.	Pulmonary Disease	Wilmington, NC	44
Branden Moore, D.O.	Pulmonary Disease	Corinth, MS	44
Somair Malik, MD/MBA	Emergency Medicine	Stony Brook, NY	44
Rohinder Sandhu, MD	Pulmonary Disease	Pomona, CA	43
Thomas Murphy, D.O.	Critical Care (Intensivists)	Elk Grove Village, IL	43
Richard Prager, MD	Pulmonary Disease	Pinecrest, FL	43
Mohamed Alibakhiet, MD	Critical Care (Intensivists)	Las Vegas, NV	43
Jarmil Peters, MD	Pulmonary Disease	Hot Springs, AR	42

Browse doctors by specialty & city →

Does Medicare cover Breathing tube insertion (intubation)?

Yes — Medicare generally covers Breathing tube insertion (intubation). It is typically an inpatient service, so Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) pays the hospital a bundled rate — Medicare’s benchmark payment is about $133. Your own cost is mainly the Part A hospital deductible for the benefit period (a flat amount, not a percentage), plus any physician (Part B) charges. A Medicare Advantage or Medigap plan can change what you owe.

General guidance from Medicare’s national rates — your actual coverage and share depend on medical necessity, your plan, and where the service is performed. Confirm with Medicare or your plan.

About these prices

Based on prices published by 2286 US hospitals across 52 states, the typical (median) cash price is $482, versus a chargemaster (list) price around $852, a median insurer-negotiated rate of $389, a Medicare rate of about $133. Most cash prices fall between $191 and $1,157 — a wide spread, which is exactly why comparing hospitals pays off.

How to save

Ask each hospital for its cash / self-pay price — for shoppable services it is often far below the list price.
Compare several nearby hospitals; prices for the same service can differ severalfold.
Request a written estimate and the billing code (CPT/DRG) before scheduling.
Use the Medicare benchmark above to judge whether a quote is reasonable.
If you are uninsured, ask about financial assistance or prompt-pay discounts.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Breathing tube insertion (intubation) cost without insurance?

The median cash (self-pay) price across 2286 US hospitals is $482. Most hospitals fall between $191 and $1,157. Prices vary widely between hospitals, so it pays to compare before you book.

Does Medicare cover Breathing tube insertion (intubation)?

Yes — it is generally covered under Medicare Part A as an inpatient service (Medicare's benchmark payment is about $133). You pay the Part A hospital deductible for the benefit period, plus any Part B physician charges.

What does Medicare pay for Breathing tube insertion (intubation)?

Medicare pays about $133. We show this as a benchmark — a fair cash price is often within a few multiples of the Medicare rate.

Why do Breathing tube insertion (intubation) prices vary between hospitals?

Hospitals set their own chargemaster and cash prices and negotiate different rates with each insurer, so two hospitals in the same area can charge very differently for the same service.

Is the cash price lower than using insurance?

Sometimes. If you are uninsured or have a high deductible, the cash/self-pay price can be lower than the insurer-negotiated rate — ask the hospital for both.

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