Surgery and procedures CPT 44970 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Appendectomy cost in Madison, WI — inpatient

In Madison, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for laparoscopic appendectomy (appendix removal through small cuts) as an inpatient: from $3,661.45 to $5,593.60, with a median of $4,627.53. The lowest listed price is at Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital — $966.08 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $3,661.45 at 28 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 44970, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$3,661.45Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital
Median$4,627.53half pay less
Highest$5,593.60in this market
Difference1.5×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 Madison, WI.

median
Lowest $3,661.45Highest $8,484.45

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital lowest Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 LAPAROSCOPIC APPENDECTOMY $3,661.45 $5,633.00 — 35% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital lowest Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Pro Laparoscopy, Appendectomy $3,661.45 $5,633.00 — 35% Apr 1, 2026
source file
UnityPoint Health - Meriter Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 PR LAP,APPENDECTOMY $5,593.60 $6,992.00 $532.55–$6,642.40 20% Jan 28, 2026
source file
Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Fac Laparoscopy, Appendectomy $8,484.45 $13,053.00 — 35% Apr 1, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $3,661.45, median $4,627.53, highest $5,593.60 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $4,627.53 — 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

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.