Stitches, 1 to 3 inch cut cost in Boston, MA
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 8 hospitals list a cash price for stitches for a cut 2.6 to 7.5 cm (1 to 3 inches), simple repair, scalp, body, arms or legs: from $243.60 to $1,086.73, with a median of $370.75. The lowest listed price is at Lowell General Hospital — $127.15 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $391.50 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 12002, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowell General Hospital lowest Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Smpl Repair Scalp/Neck/Ax/Genit/Trunk 2.6-7.5cm | $243.60 | $348.00 | $117.83–$537.76 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Smpl Repair Scalp/Neck/Ax/Genit/Trunk 2.6-7.5cm | $249.67 | $554.82 | $117.83–$568.32 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Smpl Repair Scalp/Neck/Ax/Genit/Trunk 2.6-7.5cm | $261.17 | $580.37 | $117.83–$590.39 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Simple Repair S,N,Ax,Gen,Trnk 2-6-7.5 Cm | $350.00 | $350.00 | $44.51–$411.83 | — | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Smpl Repair Scalp/Neck/Ax/Genit/Trunk 2.6-7.5cm | $391.50 | $870.00 | $176.45–$739.50 | 55% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Smpl Repair Scalp/Neck/Ax/Genit/Trunk 2.6-7.5cm | $461.30 | $659.00 | $201.78–$712.58 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Smpl Repair Scalp/Neck/Ax/Genit/Trunk 2.6-7.5cm | $486.50 | $695.00 | $182.51–$695.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Boston Boston, MA · (617) 722-3000 RPR S/N/AX/GEN/TRNK2.6-7.5CM | $1,086.73 | $1,086.73 | $40.23–$1,525.00 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $243.60, median $370.75, highest $1,086.73 — a 4.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $350.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This code covers closing a simple cut with stitches, staples or glue when the total length is 2.6 to 7.5 cm (about 1 to 3 inches) on the scalp, neck, body, arms or legs.
What the price covers
The price covers the repair. The visit, a tetanus shot and supplies may be billed separately.