What removal of a skin lesion costs: United States vs. other countries
Cutting out a harmless skin growth on the body, arms or legs.
Typical price paid to hospitals and doctors for removal of a skin lesion, from one report on the same basis: $124 in the United States, $1,245 in the United Kingdom, $236 in Germany, $1,330 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 | $124 (iFHP) | With Medicare and no extra insurance: $43 at a surgery center or $164 at a hospital, on average (Medicare.gov) | Not yet sourced |
| Canada | $35.05 in Canadian dollars, not converted: the doctor’s fee in Ontario for removing one cyst or fatty lump away from the face and neck. Hospital costs not included (Ontario) | No charge for medically necessary hospital and doctor care (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| United Kingdom | $1,245 (iFHP) | No charge. NHS care is free when you use it (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| France | €1,245.76: the set payment to a public hospital, same-day care, for removing a benign growth, mole or cyst in hospital (ATIH) | National insurance pays 70% of an outpatient visit (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Germany | $236 (iFHP) | Co-payments are capped at 2% of gross income a year (Commonwealth Fund) | Not yet sourced |
| Japan | ¥12,800: the national fee for removing a skin growth under 3 cm from a covered part of the body 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 | $1,330 (iFHP) | Not yet sourced | Not yet sourced |
Where no sourced figure exists, the cell says so. We do not fill gaps with estimates.