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Starting Vein-To-Vein ECMO Life Support

California rates for HCPCS 33946

Covers the physician work of setting up and starting an external machine that draws blood from a vein, adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide, then returns the blood to a vein. This form supports failing lungs while the patient's own heart continues to do the pumping. It covers getting the support running, not the day-to-day management afterwards.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Starting Vein-To-Vein ECMO Life Support cost?

$10,000

Typical facility fee. In California, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $10,000 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $6,918 to $13,804.

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 9 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $10,471 · 10th to 90th $3,020 to $17,783Professionalmedian $309 · 10th to 90th $214 to $692
$100.0$1.0K$10.0Kfacility $10,471professional $309

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
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$3,715.35
Median
$10,000.00
Typical High
$22,908.68
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$6,309.57
Median
$10,715.19
Typical High
$17,782.79
Blue Shield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$67.61
Median
$1,023.29
Typical High
$2,041.74
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$309.03
Median
$309.03
Typical High
$309.03
Contra Costa Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$213.80
Median
$288.40
Typical High
$363.08
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$251.19
Median
$323.59
Typical High
$776.25
Lucent Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$54.95
Median
$56.23
Typical High
$1,862.09
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$281.84
Median
$371.54
Typical High
$562.34
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,995.26
Median
$6,165.95
Typical High
$17,378.01

Where California sits

The same service costs 33.1 times more in California than in North Dakota. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Pick one to see its carriers and full range.

California $10,000 · 1st of 49
CA $10,000ND $302

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.