Returning patient visit, 20 min cost in Boston, MA
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 8 hospitals list a cash price for returning patient office visit, low complexity or 20+ minutes: from $75.14 to $322.10, with a median of $151.90. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center Brighton — $76.76 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $140.43 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 99213, 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 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 Office Outpatient Visit 20 Mins Met or Exceeded | $75.14 | $166.97 | $29.12–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Office Outpatient Visit 20 Mins Met or Exceeded | $76.69 | $170.43 | $30.54–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Est Pt Office Level 3 Visit | $135.00 | $135.00 | $29.70–$140.92 | — | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Office O/P Established Pt Level 3 | $150.50 | $215.00 | $34.89–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Office O/P Established Pt Level 3 | $153.30 | $219.00 | $22.70–$219.00 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Office Outpatient Visit 20 Mins Met or Exceeded | $187.65 | $417.00 | $23.27–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Office Outpatient Visit 15 Minutes | $187.65 | $417.00 | $23.27–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 Office/Outpatient Established Low Mdm 20 Min | $195.00 | $195.00 | $9.79–$195.00 | — | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Office O/P Established Pt Level 3 | $252.70 | $361.00 | $13.22–$541.50 | 30% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Boston Boston, MA · (617) 722-3000 ESTABLISHED PATIENT OFFICE OR OTHER OUTPATIENT VISIT; 20-29 MINUTES | $322.10 | $322.10 | $46.77–$817.41 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $75.14, median $151.90, highest $322.10 — a 4.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $151.90. 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 8 of 8 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 an office or outpatient visit for a returning patient with low complexity decision making, or at least 20 minutes of total clinician time on the visit date. It is one of the most common visit codes, used for things like a stable chronic condition or an acute problem such as an infection.
What the price covers
The price covers the clinician's visit. Lab tests, X-rays, procedures and any hospital facility fee at a hospital-owned clinic are billed separately.