Breathing treatment cost in Nashville, TN
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 20 hospitals list a cash price for breathing treatment (nebulizer or inhaler) for airway obstruction: from $72.00 to $1,213.34, with a median of $206.20. The lowest listed price is at Saint Thomas West Hospital and 2 other hospitals — $134.20 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $98.55 at 86 hospitals.
- The median here, $206.20, is 25% above the US median of $164.63.
- That is 0.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($223.72).
- Nashville, TN ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Tennessee by median, cheapest first.
- 9 of 20 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 20 facilities across 17 cities for code 94640, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 31, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2026 and Oct 1, 2026.
Lowest$72.00Saint Thomas West Hospital + 2 more
Median$206.20half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,213.34in this market
Difference16.9×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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
median
Lowest $72.00Highest $1,213.34
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Thomas West Hospital lowest Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 PR-AEROSOL TX+9 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $72.00 | $240.00 | $12.53–$43.93 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital lowest Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 PNEUMATIC NEB+11 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $72.00 | $240.00 | $12.53–$43.93 | 70% |
| Stones River Hospital lowest Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 AEROSOL TX+1 more line at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $72.00 | $240.00 | $12.53–$37.42 | 70% |
| Stones River Hospital Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 MDI VENT+9 more lines at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $75.56 | $251.85 | $12.53–$37.42 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 AEROSOL TX+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $75.56 | $251.85 | $12.53–$43.93 | 70% |
| Maury Regional Hospital Columbia, TN · (931) 381-1111 RT CHARGE Suction:RT Obtained Sputum+5 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $78.72 | $192.00 | $74.30–$184.32 | 59% |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital Nashville, TN · (615) 341-4000 RT CHARGE MDI -> Initial File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $121.93 | $203.22 | — | 40% |
| Sumner Regional Medical Center Gallatin, TN · (615) 328-8888 Pressurized or nonpressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction for therapeutic purposes and/or for diagnostic purposes such as sputum induction with an aerosol generator, nebulizer, metered dose inhaler or intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) device File of Jul 10, 2026 · source file | $123.03 | $528.01 | $162.00 | 77% |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital Nashville, TN · (615) 341-4000 RT Meter Dose Inhaler Initial CHARGE File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $128.40 | $214.00 | — | 40% |
| Riverview Regional Medical Center Carthage, TN · (615) 735-9815 Pressurized or nonpressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction for therapeutic purposes and/or for diagnostic purposes such as sputum induction with an aerosol generator, nebulizer, metered dose inhaler or intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) device File of Jul 10, 2026 · source file | $150.55 | $461.80 | $73.89–$461.80 | 67% |
| Tristar Stonecrest Medical Center Smyrna, TN · (615) 768-2000 SM VOL NEB File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $161.26 | $161.26 | $27.41–$148.36 | — |
| Tristar Horizon Medical Center Dickson, TN · (615) 446-0446 SM VOL NEB File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $164.81 | $164.81 | $28.02–$151.63 | — |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 HC NONPRESSURIZED INHALATION File of Oct 1, 2026 · source file | $178.06 | $614.00 | — | 71% |
| Trousdale Medical Center Hartsville, TN · (615) 374-2221 Pressurized or nonpressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction for therapeutic purposes and/or for diagnostic purposes such as sputum induction with an aerosol generator, nebulizer, metered dose inhaler or intermittent positive pressure breathing (IPPB) device File of Jul 10, 2026 · source file | $234.33 | $462.19 | $166.39–$462.19 | 49% |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital Nashville, TN · (615) 341-4000 RT CHARGE Aerosol Therapy -> Subsequent+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $263.40 | $439.00 | — | 40% |
| Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery Nashville, TN ED PRESSURIZED OR NONPRESSURIZED INHALATION TREATMENT FOR ACUTE AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION+1 more line at this price File of Apr 14, 2026 · source file | $273.79 | $149.00 | $11.20–$584.01 | -84% |
| Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery one side Nashville, TN RT Charges - RT -> MDI initial+4 more lines at this price File of Apr 14, 2026 · source file | $273.79 | $230.00 | $11.20–$584.01 | -19% |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital Nashville, TN · (615) 341-4000 RT Mini-Neb Initial CHARGE+8 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $276.60 | $461.00 | — | 40% |
| Macon Community Hospital Lafayette, TN · (615) 666-2147 RT METER DOSENHALER SUBSEQUENT CHARGE+1 more line at this price File of Mar 21, 2026 · source file | $366.12 | $610.20 | $12.53–$549.18 | 40% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 IPPBX TX SUBSEQUENT+3 more lines at this price File of Aug 1, 2026 · source file | $378.44 | $671.20 | $270.49–$637.64 | 44% |
| Tristar Horizon Medical Center Dickson, TN · (615) 446-0446 INH TX AC AWY OBST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $459.02 | $459.02 | $78.03–$422.30 | — |
| Tristar Southern Hills Medical Center Antioch, TN · (615) 781-4000 Pressurized or nonpressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction for therapeutic purposes and/or for diagnostic purposes such as sputum induction with an aerosol generator, nebulizer, m +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $481.45 | $481.45 | $14.91–$423.68 | — |
| Tristar Skyline Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 769-2000 INH TX AC AWY OBST+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $494.63 | $494.63 | $14.91–$484.74 | — |
| Tristar Stonecrest Medical Center Smyrna, TN · (615) 768-2000 INH TX AC AWY OBST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $499.16 | $499.16 | $84.86–$459.23 | — |
| Tristar Hendersonville Medical Center Hendersonville, TN · (615) 338-1000 INH TX AC AWY OBST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $551.43 | $551.43 | $93.74–$507.32 | — |
| Tristar Hendersonville Medical Center Hendersonville, TN · (615) 338-1000 SPUTIND File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $576.00 | $576.00 | $97.92–$529.92 | — |
| Tristar Summit Medical Center Mt Juliet, TN · (615) 316-3000 SPUTIND File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $610.72 | $610.72 | $103.82–$537.43 | — |
| Tristar Centennial Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 342-1000 INH TX AC AWY OBST+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $626.84 | $626.84 | $106.56–$626.84 | — |
| Tristar Summit Medical Center Mt Juliet, TN · (615) 316-3000 INH TX AC AWY OBST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $758.62 | $758.62 | $128.97–$667.59 | — |
| Tristar Northcrest Medical Center Springfield, TN · (615) 384-2411 Pressurized or nonpressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction for therapeutic purposes and/or for diagnostic purposes such as sputum induction with an aerosol generator, nebulizer, m +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,213.34 | $1,213.34 | $14.91–$994.94 | — |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Check the item The description in the hospital file looks like a supply or device (a catheter, a brace, an implant), not this procedure. The hospital may have filed it under the wrong code: ask before relying on this price.
Outpatient: lowest $72.00, median $206.20, highest $1,213.34 — a 16.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $100.33. 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 7 of 18 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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 breathing treatment is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Breathing treatment explained.