What an appendectomy costs: United States vs. other countries
Surgery to remove the appendix, with no complications and an overnight hospital stay.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for an appendectomy, from one report on the same basis: $13,560 in the United States, $3,950 in the United Kingdom, $3,980 in Germany, $4,268 in Australia. Source: International Health Care Cost Comparison Report 2024 (Report dated October 2024. Prices are for 2022.). These are not what one patient was charged; what patients pay is in the table.
| Country | Price paid to the hospital | What a patient usually pays | Typical wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $13,560 (iFHP) | About $1,992 for the hospital stay with private insurance. Half of patients paid more, half paid less (JAMA Health Forum) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $3,642 in Canada’s own figures, not converted: the hospital’s cost for the stay, doctors’ fees not included (CIHI) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $3,950 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| France | €2,421.47: the set payment to a public hospital for the stay, simplest cases (ATIH) | National insurance pays 80% of a hospital stay (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $3,980 (iFHP) | €10 a day in hospital, for at most 28 days a year (BMG Germany) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥137,600: the national fee for keyhole removal of the appendix alone. The hospital stay, anaesthesia and materials are paid separately (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $4,268 (iFHP) | No charge in a public hospital (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.