PT evaluation, low complexity cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 7 hospitals list a cash price for physical therapy evaluation, low complexity (typically about 20 minutes) as an inpatient: from $142.73 to $378.70, with a median of $195.00. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center Brighton — $52.27 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $339.10 at 16 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 97161, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center Brighton lowest Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex 20 Mins | $142.73 | $317.17 | $108.88–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex 20 Mins | $163.21 | $362.69 | $108.88–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 Hosp Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex | $192.50 | $275.00 | $96.25–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Telemed Pt Eval Low Complexity | $192.50 | $275.00 | $96.25–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex 20 Mins | $195.00 | $195.00 | $107.25–$294.35 | — | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex 20 Mins | $246.60 | $548.00 | $108.88–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 Hosp Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex | $367.50 | $525.00 | $133.78–$525.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 Hosp Physical Therapy Evaluation Low Complex | $378.70 | $541.00 | $142.07–$541.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Ot Eval, Low Complexity | $385.00 | $385.00 | $182.73–$385.00 | — | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Pt Physical Therapy Eval Low Complex | $385.00 | $385.00 | $182.73–$385.00 | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $142.73, median $195.00, highest $378.70 — a 2.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $195.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 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 is a first physical therapy evaluation of low complexity, typically about 20 minutes face to face. It is used for a stable problem with few other health factors, and ends with a plan of care.
What the price covers
The price covers the evaluation, billed once per evaluation rather than in time units. Treatment on the same day, such as therapeutic exercise or manual therapy, is billed separately in 15-minute units.