Placing a Tissue Expander Outside the Breast

Nationwide rates for HCPCS 11960

Inserts a silicone balloon under the skin somewhere other than the breast and then gradually fills it with fluid over weeks, so the skin above stretches and grows new tissue. The extra skin created is later used to cover a defect, replace scarred or burned skin, or rebuild an area. The repeated filling visits are part of this service.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Placing a Tissue Expander Outside the Breast cost?

$5,980

Typical total for the visit. Nationwide, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $5,980 for this procedure. That total is two separate charges: $1,514 to the doctor who performs it, and $4,467 to the hospital or surgery center where it takes place. Done somewhere without a facility charge, you pay only the first.

25% physician fee75% facility fee

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 52 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

What's inside this number

Part of the bill	Who charges it	Typical	Range
Physician feeThe doctor who performs it	The doctor who performs it	$1,514	$1,122 to $2,188
Facility feeThe hospital or surgery center	The hospital or surgery center	$4,467	$2,291 to $7,413

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $4,467 · 10th to 90th $1,096 to $12,023Professionalmedian $1,514 · 10th to 90th $977 to $2,951

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier	Facility/Professional	Modifier	Typical Low	Median	Typical High
Aetna Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $977.24 Median $3,630.78 Typical High $10,000.00	Facility	Global	$977.24	$3,630.78	$10,000.00
BCBS Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $1,995.26 Median $5,754.40 Typical High $13,803.84	Facility	Global	$1,995.26	$5,754.40	$13,803.84
Cigna Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $1,621.81 Median $3,162.28 Typical High $10,000.00	Facility	Global	$1,621.81	$3,162.28	$10,000.00
United Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $1,862.09 Median $5,248.07 Typical High $12,022.64	Facility	Global	$1,862.09	$5,248.07	$12,022.64

What it costs in each state

The same service costs 3.0 times more in Wisconsin than in Nevada. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Pick one to see its carriers and full range.

Physician feeFacility fee

WI $9,877NV $3,286

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.