Appendectomy cost in Joplin, MO
In Joplin, MO-KS, 2 hospitals list a cash price for laparoscopic appendectomy (appendix removal through small cuts): from $9,602.34 to $14,384.74, with a median of $11,993.54. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital Carthage — $2,391.20 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $8,727.00 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 44970, 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 Joplin, MO-KS.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Carthage lowest Carthage, MO · (417) 358-8121 Laparos, Surgic,Appendectomy Pf | $9,602.34 | $14,772.83 | $1,869.18–$12,352.94 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Joplin Joplin, MO · (417) 781-2727 Laparos, Surgic,Appendectomy Pf | $14,384.74 | $22,130.37 | $3,996.49–$11,456.19 | 35% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $9,602.34, median $11,993.54, highest $14,384.74 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 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
A laparoscopic appendectomy removes the appendix through several small cuts using a camera and instruments. It is the usual treatment for appendicitis and is most often done as urgent surgery.
What the price covers
The facility price covers the operating room and recovery. The surgeon, anesthesia, the pathology exam of the appendix and any emergency room visit, CT scan or hospital stay are billed separately.