What a PET scan costs: United States vs. other countries
One PET scan. The report gives no further definition.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for a PET scan, from one report on the same basis: $3,302 in the United States, $2,289 in the United Kingdom, $3,310 in Germany, $687 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 | $3,302 (iFHP) | With Medicare and no extra insurance: $178 at a surgery center or $313 at a hospital, on average (Medicare.gov) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $290.50 in Canadian dollars, not converted: the doctor’s fee in Ontario for reading a PET scan for cancer. The scan itself is not included (Ontario) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $2,289 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| France | Not yet sourced | National insurance pays 70% of an outpatient visit (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $3,310 (iFHP) | Co-payments are capped at 2% of gross income a year (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥75,000: the national fee for an FDG PET scan alone. Other fees for the visit are separate (MHLW Japan) | 30% of the bill for most adults, with a monthly cap (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Australia | $687 (iFHP) | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.