How Much Does a Colposcopy Cost in 2026?
Self-pay, a colposcopy typically costs $300 to $1,500, depending on whether a biopsy is taken and whether it is done in a doctor's office or a hospital outpatient department. With insurance, you usually owe your deductible plus coinsurance, often $100 to $500 out of pocket.
- A colposcopy is a diagnostic office procedure, usually a follow-up to an abnormal Pap smear or a positive HPV test. It is not surgery: there is no operating room and no anesthesia.
- The Pap screening is free preventive care, but the follow-up colposcopy is diagnostic, so it is billed to your deductible and coinsurance. This is a common surprise. See why your Pap smear was billed as diagnostic.
- If a biopsy is taken, the pathology lab fee is billed separately, and a hospital outpatient department adds a facility fee on top of the procedure. The same colposcopy costs more in a hospital than in an office.
Colposcopy Cost by Type
Cash / self-pay price ranges. Whether a biopsy is taken, and whether it is done in an office or a hospital outpatient department, are the biggest factors.
| Type | Cash price |
|---|---|
| Colposcopy alone | $150 to $500 |
| Colposcopy with cervical biopsy | $250 to $1,000 |
| Colposcopy with biopsy and endocervical curettage (ECC) | $300 to $1,200 |
| Hospital outpatient department (any of the above) | $600 to $1,500+ |
Lowest price: A colposcopy done in a private doctor's office rather than a hospital outpatient department, and asking whether a biopsy is clinically needed before it is sent to pathology. If a biopsy comes back needing treatment, that is a separate procedure such as a LEEP, billed on its own.
Want to know what your colposcopy should cost you?
Costs vary substantially by procedure, location, facility, and insurance. Get a personalized estimate based on your situation.
Already have a bill? Send it to CareRoute and we will work to reduce it. 64% of cases reduced.
What Makes Up the Bill
A colposcopy is an office procedure, not surgery, so the bill is small and simple. It is usually split across:
There is no operating room and no anesthesia, so a colposcopy avoids the large charges that drive up surgery bills. The two things that raise the price are a biopsy (which adds a separately billed pathology fee) and the setting: a hospital outpatient department adds a facility fee that a private office does not charge. The procedure code and the pathology are often billed by two different companies, so you may receive more than one bill for a single visit.
With vs. Without Insurance
Without insurance (self-pay)
$300 to $1,500
Ask for the cash or prompt-pay price up front, and ask for it done in a private office rather than a hospital clinic. Ask separately what the pathology lab will charge if a biopsy is taken, since that is a second bill.
With insurance (out of pocket)
$100 to $500
A colposcopy is diagnostic, not preventive, so it is not free the way your Pap screening is. You owe your deductible plus coinsurance until you hit your annual out-of-pocket maximum. If you have not met your deductible, you may pay the full allowed amount. Confirm the clinic AND the pathology lab are in-network. Medicare beneficiaries owe about 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible.
Many patients are surprised to be billed at all, because the Pap smear that led here was covered as free preventive care. The follow-up colposcopy is a diagnostic test, so normal cost-sharing applies. Prices also vary widely by setting: the same colposcopy can cost several times more in a hospital outpatient department than in a private office.
How to Pay Less
Have it done in a private office, not a hospital clinic
A colposcopy in a gynecologist's private office avoids the hospital facility fee entirely. If your referral sends you to a hospital outpatient department, ask whether an independent OB-GYN office can do the same procedure instead.
Ask about the pathology lab before the biopsy
The tissue sample is usually sent to an outside lab that bills you separately, and an out-of-network lab can turn a small visit into a surprise bill. Ask which lab your office uses and whether it is in your network.
Request an all-in cash price in writing
If you are uninsured or your deductible is not met, ask for a single bundled cash price that includes the procedure and the pathology. Marketplaces like MDsave list bundled colposcopy-with-biopsy prices that are often well below the billed rate.
Check community and Planned Parenthood clinics
Federally qualified health centers and Planned Parenthood offer colposcopy on a sliding scale based on income, which can be far cheaper than a hospital for uninsured or low-income patients.
Check hospital charity care, or get the bill reduced
Uninsured or lower income? Many hospitals offer free or discounted care. Use the charity care finder to see if you qualify nearby. Already billed? CareRoute Bill Defense reviews and negotiates it down, with no fee unless we save you money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I being billed for a colposcopy when my Pap smear was free?
A Pap smear is preventive screening, which the Affordable Care Act requires most plans to cover with no cost to you. A colposcopy is different: it is a diagnostic test ordered because the Pap or HPV result was abnormal. Diagnostic care is subject to your normal deductible and coinsurance, so it is billed even though the screening that led to it was free. This catches many patients off guard, and you can read more on our Pap smear billed as diagnostic page.
Does insurance cover a colposcopy?
Yes. When it is ordered to follow up an abnormal Pap smear or a positive HPV test, a colposcopy is medically necessary and covered by essentially all commercial plans, Medicare, and Medicaid. Because it is diagnostic rather than preventive, you still owe your deductible plus coinsurance up to your annual out-of-pocket maximum, often $100 to $500. Confirm both the clinic and the pathology lab are in-network.
Why did I get two separate bills for one colposcopy?
If a biopsy was taken, the tissue is sent to a pathology lab that bills you separately from the clinic that did the procedure. In a hospital outpatient department you may also receive a separate facility-fee bill. So a single visit can generate two or three bills from different companies. This is normal, but it means you should check each one, since an out-of-network pathology lab is a common source of surprise charges.
Is a colposcopy cheaper in an office than a hospital?
Almost always. A colposcopy done in a private OB-GYN office is billed as the procedure plus any pathology. The same colposcopy done in a hospital outpatient department adds a facility fee that can double the total or more. If you can choose, a private office is the lower-cost setting for this diagnostic procedure.
How much does Medicare pay for a colposcopy (CPT 57452/57454/57455)?
Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, the office (non-facility) payment is about $126 for a colposcopy alone (CPT 57452), about $161 for a colposcopy with cervical biopsy (CPT 57455), and about $166 for a colposcopy with biopsy and endocervical curettage (CPT 57454). Pathology is billed separately, and a hospital outpatient setting adds a facility fee. You are responsible for about 20% coinsurance after the Part B deductible, which a Medigap plan can cover.
More Cost Guides
Sources
- CMS 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (CPT 57452/57454/57455, $33.4009 conversion factor), national non-facility payment from total RVUs
- MDsave bundled cash pricing for colposcopy and colposcopy with biopsy
- CostHelper 2026 colposcopy cost data for uninsured patients (office vs hospital)
- Healthcare Bluebook and FAIR Health fair-price data for colposcopy
- Planned Parenthood and federally qualified health center sliding-scale pricing information
Prices are national estimates for 2026 and vary by location, provider, setting, and your specific plan. Last updated October 2, 2026.