Quanto Costa Biopsia cutanea?
A skin biopsy involves removing a small sample of skin tissue for laboratory examination to diagnose skin conditions including rashes, infections, and skin cancers such as melanoma, basal cell, and squamous cell carcinoma.
Senza Assicurazione
$350
Con Assicurazione
$50
Medicare
$40
Media Nazionale
$147
By Elena Bellini, MPH, Health Policy & Management · Last reviewed 2026-04-21 ·
Sources: American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2025 · Methodology · Editorial standards Panoramica
A skin biopsy is a brief office procedure that samples skin for microscopic examination to evaluate rashes, suspicious lesions, or suspected skin cancers (basal cell, squamous cell, melanoma). Three main techniques exist: shave biopsy (a horizontal slice with a blade for surface lesions), punch biopsy (a cylindrical core usually 3-4 mm), and excisional biopsy (full removal with a scalpel for larger or deeper lesions). The procedure itself takes 5 to 15 minutes under local anesthesia. Every skin biopsy generates at least two distinct charges: the provider fee for performing the biopsy (a specific CPT code that depends on technique) and a pathology fee for the lab interpretation. If multiple lesions are sampled, each is billed as its own CPT, usually with decreasing reimbursement on additional sites. Same-day excision of cancers (not just biopsy) is a different, more expensive code. Dermatologist offices typically include everything in the office visit; hospital-based dermatology clinics add a facility fee.
Cosa influenza il costo
- Biopsy technique: shave biopsies are cheapest, punch biopsies slightly higher, and excisional biopsies with sutures the most expensive.
- Number of lesions biopsied: each additional biopsy adds a separate CPT code (often with multiple-procedure discounting).
- Site of service: hospital-affiliated dermatology clinics add a facility fee; independent dermatology offices bundle into the visit fee.
- Pathology processing: standard H&E staining is baseline; immunohistochemistry or special stains for ambiguous lesions add costs.
- Office visit level: the separate evaluation-and-management visit (if billed) stacks on top of the biopsy charge.
- Suturing or advanced closure: closure with intermediate or complex repair codes adds charges beyond the biopsy itself.
Come Risparmiare
- Choose an independent dermatology office over a hospital-affiliated dermatology clinic to avoid facility fees.
- Ask the dermatologist to biopsy only the lesions with meaningful concern, not every cosmetically bothersome spot.
- Request the Good Faith Estimate if you are uninsured; dermatology offices often offer cash-pay package pricing.
- Verify the pathology lab is in-network — the biopsy itself may be in-network but the lab could be contracted separately.
- Use your HSA or FSA to pay the patient portion with pre-tax dollars.
- If you have a high-deductible plan and have not met your deductible, compare the negotiated in-network rate to the cash price.
Note su assicurazione e copertura
Medicare Part B and commercial plans cover skin biopsies when medically necessary to evaluate a lesion of concern. Prior authorization is generally not required. Patients owe 20% coinsurance under Medicare after the Part B deductible; commercial plans typically apply standard office-visit cost-sharing plus pathology. The No Surprises Act provides protection against out-of-network pathology at in-network facilities. Screening full-body skin exams themselves are not a covered preventive service under the ACA, but biopsies performed during any dermatology visit are covered when clinically indicated. Expect separate line items for the biopsy and pathology interpretation.
Data sources for this page
Cost figures on this page are compiled from the following sources, triangulated per the rules in our methodology:
- American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2025 — primary CMS reference used as the Medicare-rate anchor.
- Hospital Price Transparency machine-readable files (HPT MRFs) from a sample of major hospitals in each state, per the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule.
- Transparency in Coverage payer in-network rate files for commercial-rate cross-validation.
- State All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) summaries where published (Colorado, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maine, Utah, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, Oregon).
Last reviewed 2026-04-21. See editorial standards for our fact-checking process and correction policy.
Range: $256 to $483 · 50 states shown
Costo per Stato
| Stato | Senza Assicurazione | Con Assicurazione | Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $256 | $37 | $29 |
| Arkansas | $263 | $38 | $30 |
| West Virginia | $263 | $38 | $30 |
| Alabama | $273 | $39 | $31 |
| Oklahoma | $273 | $39 | $31 |
| Kentucky | $298 | $43 | $34 |
| Louisiana | $301 | $43 | $34 |
| Iowa | $308 | $44 | $35 |
| New Mexico | $308 | $44 | $35 |
| South Carolina | $308 | $44 | $35 |
| South Dakota | $308 | $44 | $35 |
| Kansas | $312 | $45 | $36 |
| North Dakota | $312 | $45 | $36 |
| Idaho | $315 | $45 | $36 |
| Nebraska | $315 | $45 | $36 |
| Tennessee | $315 | $45 | $36 |
| Indiana | $326 | $47 | $37 |
| Missouri | $326 | $47 | $37 |
| Utah | $326 | $47 | $37 |
| Wyoming | $326 | $47 | $37 |
| Georgia | $329 | $47 | $38 |
| North Carolina | $329 | $47 | $38 |
| Michigan | $333 | $48 | $38 |
| Montana | $333 | $48 | $38 |
| Arizona | $343 | $49 | $39 |
| Ohio | $343 | $49 | $39 |
| Wisconsin | $343 | $49 | $39 |
| Maine | $347 | $50 | $40 |
| Texas | $347 | $50 | $40 |
| Florida | $354 | $51 | $40 |
| Minnesota | $354 | $51 | $40 |
| Illinois | $361 | $52 | $41 |
| Pennsylvania | $361 | $52 | $41 |
| Delaware | $364 | $52 | $42 |
| Nevada | $364 | $52 | $42 |
| Vermont | $364 | $52 | $42 |
| Virginia | $364 | $52 | $42 |
| Colorado | $371 | $53 | $42 |
| New Hampshire | $371 | $53 | $42 |
| Oregon | $371 | $53 | $42 |
| Maryland | $385 | $55 | $44 |
| Rhode Island | $389 | $56 | $44 |
| Washington | $389 | $56 | $44 |
| Connecticut | $420 | $60 | $48 |
| New Jersey | $420 | $60 | $48 |
| California | $462 | $66 | $53 |
| Massachusetts | $466 | $67 | $53 |
| Alaska | $473 | $68 | $54 |
| New York | $473 | $68 | $54 |
| Hawaii | $483 | $69 | $55 |
Domande Frequenti
Quanto costa biopsia cutanea senza assicurazione?
Il costo medio di biopsia cutanea senza assicurazione negli Stati Uniti è $350. I costi variano significativamente per stato.
L'assicurazione copre biopsia cutanea?
La maggior parte dei piani assicurativi sanitari copre biopsia cutanea quando medicalmente necessario. Con assicurazione, il costo medio a carico del paziente è $50.
Medicare copre biopsia cutanea?
Medicare Parte B copre generalmente biopsia cutanea su prescrizione medica. L'importo medio approvato da Medicare è $40.
Revisionato da Elena Bellini · Ultima revisione: 2026-04-21
Dati provenienti da American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 2025. Ultimo aggiornamento: 2026-03-01. Queste informazioni sono solo a scopo educativo e non costituiscono consulenza medica. Questo sito web è solo a scopo informativo e non costituisce consulenza medica. Consultare sempre un professionista sanitario qualificato.