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Ultrasound Cost

How Much Does an Ultrasound Cost?

low cost Average: $200

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An ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, which are transmitted through the abdomen to produce images of a baby inside the womb. An ultrasound, also referred to as a sonogram, is performed on most pregnant women at 20 weeks to confirm that the placenta is healthy and to measure the baby's growth and development.
 
Typical costs:
  • An ultrasound performed by a licensed medical professional - either a physician or a registered medical diagnostic sonographer - usually costs around $200 according to Parenting Magazine. Medical insurance generally covers the cost of an ultrasound if it is deemed medically necessary.
  • If an expectant mother gets an ultrasound only to see the baby or to find out its sex, the insurance company may not pay for the procedure. The cost of an ultrasound varies by insurance plan.
What should be included:
  • Gel is rubbed on the mother's belly, and a transducer is gently pressed against the skin on the abdomen, sending sound waves that reflect images of the baby that appear on a television monitor. The sonographer records measurements and takes still pictures, which can be taken home.
  • During the first trimester, ultrasounds are often done through the vagina with a specially designed probe and can provide better images. An ultrasound takes 15 to 20 minutes. While not 100 percent accurate, ultrasounds can pick up most serious birth defects or problem pregnancies.
  • The more experienced the doctor or technician, the more accurate the results. Some facilities are accredited by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Additional costs:
  • So called "keepsake" ultrasounds performed at stand-alone ultrasound facilities not affiliated with medical offices or clinics perform 3-D images for a range of prices starting at $99 and running up to $300 for black-and-white pictures, videos, CD photo slideshows and color photos. However, the American Institute of Ultrasound and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not recommend ultrasounds for non-medical or entertainment purposes. Unskilled technicians incorrectly interpret ultrasounds, and equipment may not be in good working order.
Shopping for an ultrasound:
  • Startby asking your health insurance company whether the procedure will be covered. If you don't have insurance, or your insurance company won't cover the cost of a sonogram, ask your obstetrician, midwife or other healthcare provider for the names of experienced, licensed sonographers in your area. Many obstetricians perform ultrasounds themselves.
Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. For medical decisions, always consult your physician for the right course for your infant or child.
 
Article updated March 2007
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Recent Posts
Amount: $101.00 Scrotum exam
Posted by: MRM in Philadelphia, PA.Purchased: July, 2009
Covered by Insurance?: NoMedical Center: Hahnemann
Ultrasound exam on scrotum after during a bout of testicular torsion. Was not insured at the time. They looked at both testicles for imaging of blood flow. Not looking forward to bills for surgery to remove the dead testicle. Bad week all around.
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Amount: $1,722.75 Ultrasound
Posted by: Sick ofOvercharges in Naperville, IL.Purchased: 2009
Covered by Insurance?: YesMedical Center: Edward Hospital - Mat. Fetal Med.
Edward Hospital is in our network.

My dr sent me here for a Level 2 ultrasound. We were there for about 40 minutes. We received 5 blurry pictures (no cd or extras), 3 of them are the same picture.

The medical center billed my insurance a $877.75 Facility (equipment) charge & billed another $845 Professional Provider Charge. This is a total of $1,722.75 even after $1,100 in 'discounts'!
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Amount: $150.00 Pregnancy
Posted by: Frank and May in Salt Lake City, UT.Purchased: September, 2009
Covered by Insurance?: noMedical Center: Birthwise Maternity Salt Lake City
Heather is a Midwife in norther Utah that highers a contractor to do the ultrasounds. He only does the 2d ultrasounds.
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Amount: $1,250.00 Pelvic Pain Ultrasound
Posted by: Jennifer K. Sutton in Indianapolis, IN.Purchased: September, 2009
Covered by Insurance?: 504.63Medical Center: St. Vincent Hospital,
I received an ultra sound for pelvic pain in my lower right quadrant which as perisisted to various degrees for the past year. The nurses told me nothing about what they saw and made it seem like there was something wrong. The nurses from my doctors office said everything came back normal. Not only have I received no explanation for why I may be in pain, I have recieved no explanation for what was seen and after reading your article am confirmed that I have been charged entirely too much. What do I need to do to make sure no one else gets charged too much too?
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Amount: $963.00 OB Ultrasound
Posted by: For Profit Health Care is Immoral! in Muskogee, OK.Purchased: October, 2009
Covered by Insurance?: NoMedical Center: Muskogee Community Hospital
My midwife moved up my age and dates ultrasound (15w) do to my gyn history. I was rushed in even though I kept saying we could hold off. The ultrasound tech said everything looked perfect but when I went back to my midwife they thought I had placenta previa and low amniotic fluid. She even said that there was a note made saying the procedure was incomplete. I was now very worried and my midwife scheduled another ultrasound in another city. That scan's bill has not been received but absolutly no abnormailites were found. So now I have to pay for 2 ultrasounds, one that I was coercied into getting and one that I was too concerned NOT to have done. Why is it that when an error occures and a test needs to be repeated that you still have to pay for the incompetetly performed procedure?
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Amount: $100.28 Pregnancy NT Ultrasound and labs
Posted by: Patricia1982 in Milwaukee, WI.Purchased: October, 2009
Covered by Insurance?: 401.20Medical Center: Aurora Clinic
My doctor\'s office is located at the clinic which has the ultrasound and lab facilities right there. I went in for the 12 week pregnancy NT ultrasound and blood work. The ulratsound was performed by a tech and took about 30 minutes or so. This was covered at 80% so I paid $76.14 and my insurance paid $304.64. The blood work was covered at 80% also so I paid $24.14 and my insurance paid $96.56. There were no facility or hospital charges since this was not performed at a hospital but in the clinic. I was also in-network with my Cigna Insurance so I am sure that helped. I would suggest for anyone getting an ultrasound to look into having it done at a clinic or other non-hospital location.
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Amount: $2,082.00 Abdominal
Posted by: B. Burke in Chattanooga, TN.Purchased: September, 2009
Covered by Insurance?: yeah, with a $3,000 deductibleMedical Center: Northpark Memorial
I was being checked for gallstones. I asked BEFORE the procedure what the cost would be. Nobody could tell me. But I had had a procedure at this same hospital previously that was going to cost $450 and they made me prepay. It made sense to me that this would be NO MORE THAN that since they didn't ask me to prepay! I was told after the fact that hospitals always charge more, yet I had been given no choice by my doctor as to where I would have the procedure. Their office made the appointment. What's worse, the doctor knew of the high deductible. I feel as if they are saying "gotcha" because I have no recourse at this point.
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Amount: $3,876.00 Pregnancy Ultrasound - 1st Trimester
Posted by: JPF in Hoboken, NJ.Purchased: January, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: 80%Medical Center: Hoboken Medical Facility
Complete Ripoff. We got this bill after we had just gone for the 2nd time. When we called to complain, they stated that as a facility they needed to cover other overhead costs.
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Amount: $0.00 NT Ultrasound
Posted by: Michelle J. in San Diego, CA.Purchased: 2010
Covered by Insurance?: 100%Medical Center: Sharp Reese Stealy
My insurance policy through a 'small group' at a family owned business costs $342/mo. My prenatal care is covered 100% with ZERO co-pays. The delivery is $500/day copay and the rest is covered 100%. Pacificare has been unbelievable, I can not say that about ANY other company I have experienced!
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Amount: $243.06 Pregnancy Ultrasound
Posted by: JHM in Bountiful, UT.Purchased: February, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: yes, with $5,000 deductibleMedical Center: Lakeview OBGYN
The office billed my insurance $378, $134.94 of it was adjusted off, leaving me a bill of $243.06. Although less expensive than most previous posters, way too much for 10 minutes of tech's time. I want to be paid $1,458 per hour too! I'm in the wrong profession!
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Amount: $0.00 Pregnancy Ultrasounds
Posted by: PJS in Canada in Toronto,Canada, Other.Purchased: 2008
Covered by Insurance?: YupMedical Center: Toronto East General Ultrasound Clinic
For all the hype about us Canadians being unhappy with our healthcare system, I have to say, I'm not. Didn't pay a dime (aside from our taxes) for pregnancy and delivery and 10 days of my son in ICU and had great care. Yes, there are waitlists for non-urgent procedures, but when you need it, the system is there, regardless of what's in your wallet.
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Amount: $700.00 Pregnancy Ultrasound
Posted by: EK in Peoria, IL.Purchased: 2009
Covered by Insurance?: SomeMedical Center: OSF St. Francis Maternal & Fetal Medical
I had somewhere between 16-20 ultrasounds. I had a high risk pregnancy and they were keeping a close eye on the baby. Each ultrasound cost around $700 plus the costs from the doctor and "lab" for reading the results. Luckily our insurance picked up the cost after we paid $2500 out of pocket. Even with all that expense my daughter was totally worth it and is perfect.
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Amount: $0.00 Enlarged uterus
Posted by: Retired Military Wife in Junction City, KS.Purchased: April, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: YesMedical Center: Geary Community Hospital
I received my claim summary today and was shocked with how much the hospital billed the insurance ($724.00). The allowed cost the insurance paid was $86.68 which I feel is what it should cost. It took no more than 30 minutes with a technician.
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Amount: $0.00 Ultrasound
Posted by: take a stand in Willows, CA.Purchased: January, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: Sort ofMedical Center: Glenn Medical
Belly ache - referred as the physician thought it was gall bladder. Facility looked like a WW1 bomb shelter resplendent with lime green lead paint. Bill= $600 for ultrasound, $225 to read it. insurance covered most of reading and $20 for the ultrasound and disallowed $40 on the bill - my tab- $540. For a procedure that took 30 minutes on a machine they probably bought used (many used ones sell for 5-10K). No wonder health care is so screwed up. I will negotiate for a max of $200 and refuse payment beyond that. Gov't analysis suggests price should be $125-200 for the procedure
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Amount: $716.85 Ultrasound cost 20 wks
Posted by: Marie St. Claire in Nashville, TN.Purchased: March, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: yesMedical Center: TN Maternal Fetal Med
Bill was $1822. Seriously outrageous - the OB/GYN global charge for csection is only slightly more and the US lasted 30 mins. Insurance waived $1,105 of the fee and I paid the rest.
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Amount: $740.40 transvaginal ultrasound
Posted by: rmf in Stevens Point,, WI.Purchased: March, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: noMedical Center: Ministry Medical Group
Unbelievable, so much money for 15 minutes of a follow up test to find nothing is wrong. Just as the doctor said 6 months ago. I feel robbed.
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Amount: $80.00 Ultrasound in Qatar
Posted by: TSL in Doha, Other.Purchased: May, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: -Medical Center: Al-Hayat
In Qatar, an ultrasound (+3D/4D imaging) cost me only $80. The doctor even threw in a FREE DVD of the ultrasound for me. Now I\\\'m back in the States to deliver and they are telling me that my ultrasounds here will cost me $800!!! The kicker is that they are using the exact same machine as the clinic in Qatar.
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Amount: $95.00 Ultrasounds in France
Posted by: Melanie in Paris France, Other.Purchased: January, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: YesMedical Center: Private clinic (Paris), HCL Lyon
In France, you are advised to have three ultrasounds : one at 12 weeks, one at 21 and one during the 8th month.

I had my first one too early to check the neck (for signs of Trisomy 21), so I had a second ultrasound two weeks later. The cost of both were 95€ together (thats 45 and 50€), but the government health aid paid me back 60, and my health insurance will pay the rest.

My 21 week ultrasound was done in a Hospital in Lyon, and I didn't up-pay anything, the hospital will get paid directly from the gov and my health insurance.

The 8 month ultrasound is paid for by the government health plan.

But what surprises me is not only the incredible fees you have to pay in the US, but the huge differences between Centers ! In France, the cost is fixed, and private clinics can ask for more, but the prices have to be listed on the wall. As an example, my OB cost 60€ each visit. The usual price is 23€, in his waiting room, there's the list of prices for each type of exam he does, and how much he asks for, and how much is paid for by insurance... No surprises !

Just so you know, it's like this for all health care in France. It's probably the most important thing in our society, a shared health plan... no one get's left behind. I got operated on a few years ago, before I had health insurance. The took out my gall bladder, and I had to stay 5 days in the clinic. I was charged 118€ for the whole thing.
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Amount: $279.99 Adominal Ultrasound
Posted by: Danny from Cherokee, IA in Cherokee, IA.Purchased: June, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: NoMedical Center: Cherokee Reginal Medical Center
I had an ultrasound to check my adominal area specially my gullbladder. Well they didnt find anything, and still I have stomach pains.
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Amount: $1,401.73 level 2 ultrasound
Posted by: Holy Cow!! in California in Fremont, CA.Purchased: June, 2010
Covered by Insurance?: $596.65Medical Center: Washington Hospital Fremont, Ca
I nearly passed out when I got a bill for the remaining balance. $805.08 YIKES. Scan to check for fibroids due to extremely heavy periods.
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