Brain shunt (VP shunt) Cost (2026) — Compare Hospital Prices

Brain shunt (VP shunt) is a surgical procedure. Prices are from 973 US hospitals across 51 states, from their machine-readable files.

$3,143median cash price · 973 hospitals, 51 statestypically $659–$10,850 depending on the hospital

≈ 3.1× Medicare · On the higher sideFind hospitals near you

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)

$4,330

Cash / self-pay

$3,143

Insurer-negotiated

$2,750

Medicare pays

$1,023

$659$10,850

Median cash $3,143 · Medicare $1,023 · bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)

Is this a fair price?

1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

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%).

Estimate what you’ll pay

Deductible remaining Coinsurance %

Quick fill:

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
Ochsner Medical Center-Baton Rouge	Baton Rouge, LA	$514	—	★ 4/5	197 min	—
Saint Vincent Hospital	Erie, PA	$526	$882	★ 4/5	219 min	—
Jefferson Hospital	Louisville, GA	$556	$882	—	99 min	—
Jefferson Hospital	Jefferson Hills, PA	$556	$882	★ 4/5	170 min	—
Westfield Memorial Hospital, Inc	Westfield, NY	$643	$882	—	120 min	—
Canonsburg General Hospital	Canonsburg, PA	$643	$882	★ 3/5	155 min	—
Forbes Hospital	Monroeville, PA	$643	$882	★ 3/5	261 min	—
Unity Health-Jacksonville	Jacksonville, AR	$661	—	—	130 min	—
Unity Health-Newport	Newport, AR	$661	—	—	103 min	—
Grove City Medical Center	Grove City, PA	$673	$907	★ 4/5	150 min	—
Nacogdoches Memorial Hospital	Nacogdoches, TX	$688	$1,506	★ 2/5	174 min	—
Allegheny Valley Hospital	Natrona, PA	$702	$882	★ 4/5	203 min	—
Allegheny General Hospital	Pittsburgh, PA	$702	$882	★ 3/5	274 min	—
Ahn Wexford Hospital	Wexford, PA	$760	$1,206	★ 5/5	184 min	—
West Penn Hospital	Pittsburgh, PA	$789	$1,206	★ 3/5	208 min	—
Red Bud Regional Hospital	Red Bud, IL	$815	$1,397	★ 4/5	122 min	—
O'connor Hospital	Delhi, NY	$891	$1,201	—	95 min	—
Little Falls Hospital	Little Falls, NY	$891	$993	★ 2/5	109 min	—
Cobleskill Regional Hospital	Cobleskill, NY	$891	$1,130	★ 4/5	111 min	—
Rochester General Hospital	Rochester, NY	$1,019	$1,092	★ 2/5	233 min	—
Boulder Community Health	Boulder, CO	$1,029	$1,441	★ 4/5	135 min	—
Bayside Community Hospital	Anahuac, TX	$1,091	$628	—	106 min	—
Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital	Shelbyville, TN	$1,131	$1,244	★ 4/5	125 min	—
Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital	Tullahoma, TN	$1,131	$1,196	★ 3/5	168 min	—
Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital	Lebanon, NH	$1,196	$1,715	★ 4/5	118 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 October 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	78	$336 $52 – $531
Medicare	94	$412 $70 – $983
Health Net	53	$446 $58 – $5,619
Tricare / VA	72	$478 $78 – $1,551
Highmark	47	$496 $78 – $1,282
Kaiser Permanente	53	$514 $64 – $2,305
Univera	11	$727 $112 – $1,198
AmeriHealth	67	$874 $175 – $6,049
Sanford Health Plan	23	$902 $365 – $6,682
Security Health Plan	18	$902 $369 – $3,303
Centene / Ambetter	214	$942 $69 – $2,250
Amerigroup	59	$958 $480 – $2,365
Priority Health	25	$966 $369 – $5,566
UCare	23	$974 $678 – $2,506
Blue Cross Blue Shield	427	$1,014 $88 – $14,110
Devoted Health	35	$1,018 $954 – $13,780
MVP Health Care	30	$1,032 $329 – $4,185
HealthPartners	59	$1,074 $221 – $4,658
Molina Healthcare	196	$1,081 $123 – $3,242
Coventry	20	$1,203 $189 – $4,633
Geisinger	21	$1,206 $241 – $6,737
Anthem	211	$1,278 $96 – $9,166
MultiPlan / PHCS network	83	$1,337 $96 – $6,161
Independent Health	14	$1,342 $480 – $1,342
Humana	279	$1,566 $161 – $4,690
Medica	42	$2,089 $712 – $3,278
Aetna	388	$2,305 $313 – $8,439
Workers' Comp / No-Fault	18	$2,485 $2,485 – $2,485
UPMC Health Plan	28	$2,703 $978 – $7,317
SelectHealth	22	$2,744 $957 – $5,307
Harvard Pilgrim	11	$2,803 $369 – $4,162
UnitedHealthcare	597	$3,080 $369 – $9,858
Oscar Health	69	$3,435 $1,759 – $6,587
EmblemHealth	32	$5,272 $2,446 – $18,107
Healthcare Highways	23	$5,841 $2,069 – $14,612
Cigna	360	$6,802 $1,095 – $23,561
AvMed	29	$8,168 $749 – $11,861

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

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
Mark Luciano, MD	Neurosurgery	Baltimore, MD	57
Kristopher Kahle, M.D., PH.D.	Neurosurgery	Hartford, CT	55
Benjamin Elder, M.D./PH.D.	Neurosurgery	Rochester, MN	42
Azadeh Farin, MD	Neurosurgery	Long Beach, CA	42
Frank Barranco, MD	Neurosurgery	Phoenix, AZ	42
Jonathan White, MD	Neurosurgery	Dallas, TX	33
Branden Cord, MD, PHD	Neurosurgery	Sacramento, CA	32
Alexander Shadid, MD	General Surgery	Newport Beach, CA	27
Kelli Brooks, MD	General Surgery	Durham, NC	26
Ray Chu, M.D.	Neurosurgery	Los Angeles, CA	23
Phillip Heyse, MD	General Practice	Dayton, OH	22
Vivek Mehta, MD	Neurosurgery	Los Angeles, CA	22

Browse doctors by specialty & city →

Does Medicare cover Brain shunt (VP shunt)?

Yes — Medicare generally covers Brain shunt (VP shunt). It is typically an inpatient service, so Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) pays the hospital a bundled rate — Medicare’s benchmark payment is about $1,023. 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 973 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 $2,750, a Medicare rate of about $1,023. Most cash prices fall between $659 and $10,850 — 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?

The median cash (self-pay) price across 973 US hospitals is $3,143. Most hospitals fall between $659 and $10,850. Prices vary widely between hospitals, so it pays to compare before you book.

Does Medicare cover Brain shunt (VP shunt)?

Yes — it is generally covered under Medicare Part A as an inpatient service (Medicare's benchmark payment is about $1,023). You pay the Part A hospital deductible for the benefit period, plus any Part B physician charges.

What does Medicare pay for Brain shunt (VP shunt)?

Medicare pays about $1,023. We show this as a benchmark — a fair cash price is often within a few multiples of the Medicare rate.

Why do Brain shunt (VP shunt) 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.

Related Surgery & Procedures

Abscess incision and drainage Abscess drainage (simple)Abscess drainage (complex or multiple)Simple wound stitches Foreign body removal (skin)Burn treatment Simple laceration repair (small, up to 2.5 cm)Burn dressing and debridement (small)

See more Surgery & Procedures.