Brain shunt (VP shunt) is a surgical procedure. Prices are from 927 US hospitals across 51 states, from their machine-readable files.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $3,143 — about 3.1× the Medicare rate ($1,023). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($2,047).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,330 list price could save about $1,187 (27%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge, LA | $514 | — | ★ 4/5 | 179 min | 14.6% |
| Saint Vincent Hospital | Erie, PA | $526 | $882 | ★ 4/5 | 212 min | 14.7% |
| Jefferson Hospital | Louisville, GA | $556 | $882 | — | 92 min | 15.2% |
| Jefferson Hospital | Jefferson Hills, PA | $556 | $882 | ★ 4/5 | 172 min | 15.4% |
| Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc | Westfield, NY | $643 | $882 | — | 114 min | 14.8% |
| Canonsburg General Hospital | Canonsburg, PA | $643 | $882 | ★ 3/5 | 155 min | 15.6% |
| Forbes Hospital | Monroeville, PA | $643 | $882 | ★ 3/5 | 252 min | 16.5% |
| Unity Health-Jacksonville | Jacksonville, AR | $661 | — | — | 130 min | 15.2% |
| Unity Health-Newport | Newport, AR | $661 | — | — | 104 min | 15.4% |
| Grove City Medical Center | Grove City, PA | $673 | $907 | ★ 4/5 | 147 min | 14.1% |
| Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital | Nacogdoches, TX | $688 | $1,632 | ★ 2/5 | 178 min | 15.4% |
| Allegheny Valley Hospital | Natrona, PA | $702 | $882 | ★ 4/5 | 201 min | 15.7% |
| Allegheny General Hospital | Pittsburgh, PA | $702 | $882 | ★ 3/5 | 274 min | 14.7% |
| Ahn Wexford Hospital | Wexford, PA | $760 | $1,206 | ★ 5/5 | 186 min | 15.3% |
| West Penn Hospital | Pittsburgh, PA | $789 | $1,206 | ★ 3/5 | 203 min | 16.3% |
| Red Bud Regional Hospital | Red Bud, IL | $815 | $1,397 | ★ 4/5 | 121 min | 15.6% |
| O'connor Hospital | Delhi, NY | $891 | $1,201 | — | 88 min | 14.7% |
| Little Falls Hospital | Little Falls, NY | $891 | $993 | ★ 2/5 | 110 min | 15.7% |
| Cobleskill Regional Hospital | Cobleskill, NY | $891 | $1,130 | ★ 4/5 | 109 min | 14.6% |
| Rochester General Hospital | Rochester, NY | $1,019 | $1,092 | ★ 2/5 | 237 min | 15.8% |
| Boulder Community Health | Boulder, CO | $1,029 | $1,441 | ★ 4/5 | 133 min | 13.6% |
| Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital | Shelbyville, TN | $1,131 | $1,244 | ★ 4/5 | 123 min | 13.6% |
| Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital | Tullahoma, TN | $1,131 | $1,196 | ★ 3/5 | 173 min | 15.1% |
| Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital | Lebanon, NH | $1,196 | $1,715 | ★ 4/5 | 120 min | 15.3% |
| Grove Hill Memorial Hospital | Grove Hill, AL | $1,211 | $1,132 | — | 162 min | — |
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 June 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 Brain shunt (VP shunt)
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: $3,143; Medicare pays $1,023.
| Insurer | Hospitals | Negotiated median |
|---|---|---|
| Medicaid | 74 |
$52 – $531 |
| Medicare | 93 |
$70 – $983 |
| Health Net | 52 |
$58 – $5,649 |
| Tricare / VA | 72 |
$78 – $1,551 |
| Highmark | 41 |
$78 – $1,282 |
| Kaiser Permanente | 53 |
$64 – $2,305 |
| Univera | 11 |
$112 – $1,198 |
| AmeriHealth | 54 |
$175 – $6,049 |
| Sanford Health Plan | 23 |
$365 – $6,682 |
| Security Health Plan | 18 |
$369 – $3,303 |
| Amerigroup | 55 |
$480 – $2,187 |
| Centene / Ambetter | 204 |
$68 – $2,250 |
| Priority Health | 25 |
$369 – $5,566 |
| UCare | 23 |
$678 – $2,506 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 421 |
$88 – $14,203 |
| Devoted Health | 34 |
$949 – $13,780 |
| MVP Health Care | 30 |
$329 – $4,185 |
| HealthPartners | 59 |
$216 – $4,658 |
| Molina Healthcare | 173 |
$110 – $3,242 |
| Coventry | 18 |
$189 – $4,828 |
| Geisinger | 21 |
$241 – $6,737 |
| Anthem | 177 |
$91 – $8,821 |
| MultiPlan / PHCS network | 76 |
$96 – $6,161 |
| Independent Health | 14 |
$480 – $1,342 |
| Humana | 269 |
$161 – $4,690 |
| Medica | 42 |
$712 – $3,278 |
| Aetna | 359 |
$255 – $8,777 |
| Workers' Comp / No-Fault | 18 |
$2,485 – $2,485 |
| SelectHealth | 22 |
$957 – $5,307 |
| Harvard Pilgrim | 11 |
$369 – $4,162 |
| UPMC Health Plan | 25 |
$1,275 – $7,317 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 557 |
$369 – $10,300 |
| Oscar Health | 60 |
$1,815 – $6,587 |
| EmblemHealth | 20 |
$2,274 – $18,107 |
| Healthcare Highways | 23 |
$2,069 – $14,612 |
| Cigna | 348 |
$1,098 – $23,561 |
| AvMed | 27 |
$736 – $12,418 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Georgia | $472 |
| Pennsylvania | $775 |
| Colorado | $1,029 |
| Kansas | $1,489 |
| Missouri | $1,512 |
| Ohio | $1,603 |
Prices by city
Prices by state
About these prices
Based on prices published by 927 US hospitals across 51 states, the typical (median) cash price is $3,143, versus a chargemaster (list) price around $4,330, a median insurer-negotiated rate of $2,754, a Medicare rate of about $1,023. Most cash prices fall between $656 and $11,225 — 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 Brain shunt (VP shunt) cost without insurance?
What does Medicare pay for Brain shunt (VP shunt)?
Why do Brain shunt (VP shunt) prices vary between hospitals?
Is the cash price lower than using insurance?
Related Surgery & Procedures
See more Surgery & Procedures.