Surgery and procedures CPT 19081 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Breast biopsy, stereotactic cost in Altoona, PA — inpatient

In Altoona, PA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for breast needle biopsy guided by mammogram (stereotactic), with marker clip, first lesion as an inpatient: from $2,923.20 to $19,615.00, with a median of $11,269.10. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Altoona — $8,345.90 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $3,912.00 at 41 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 19081, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$2,923.20UPMC Altoona
Median$11,269.10half pay less
Highest$19,615.00in this market
Difference6.7×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Altoona, PA.

median
Lowest $2,923.20Highest $19,615.00

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
UPMC Altoona lowest Altoona, PA · (814) 889-2011 BX BREAST 1ST LESION STRTCTC $2,923.20 $4,872.00 $2,436.00–$3,897.60 40% —
source file
Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone, PA · (814) 684-1255 STB Stereotactic Localization $19,615.00 $19,615.00 — — Apr 1, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $2,923.20, median $11,269.10, highest $19,615.00 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $11,269.10 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 a breast needle biopsy guided by mammogram images, including placing a tiny marker clip at the biopsy site.

What the price covers

The price covers the biopsy, imaging guidance and marker clip. The lab exam of the tissue is billed separately.