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Starting Vein-To-Vein ECMO Life Support

Tennessee 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 October 2026.

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

$1,880

Typical total for the visit. In Tennessee, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $1,880 for this procedure. That total is two separate charges: $468 to the doctor who performs it, and $1,413 to the hospital or surgery center where it takes place. Done somewhere without a facility charge, you pay only the first.

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 5 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

What's inside this number

Part of the billTypicalRange
Physician feeThe doctor who performs it$468$355 to $661
Facility feeThe hospital or surgery center$1,413$676 to $2,692

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $1,413 · 10th to 90th $513 to $3,890Professionalmedian $468 · 10th to 90th $295 to $2,138
$200$500$1K$2K$5Kfacility $1,413professional $468

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,454.71
Median
$2,818.38
Typical High
$7,585.78
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$295.12
Median
$354.81
Typical High
$660.69
BCBS Tennessee
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$489.78
Median
$1,258.93
Typical High
$3,715.35
BCBS Tennessee
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$338.84
Median
$436.52
Typical High
$724.44
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$512.86
Median
$676.08
Typical High
$2,691.53
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$275.42
Median
$416.87
Typical High
$616.60
Lucent Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2,137.96
Median
$2,454.71
Typical High
$2,454.71
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$501.19
Median
$1,778.28
Typical High
$3,981.07
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$295.12
Median
$467.74
Typical High
$724.44
5 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$147.91
Median
$158.49
Typical High
$245.47
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$60.26
Median
$63.10
Typical High
$100.00
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
54 · Surgery only
Typical Low
$223.87
Median
$234.42
Typical High
$371.54
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
55 · Aftercare only
Typical Low
$44.67
Median
$47.86
Typical High
$74.13
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
56 · Pre-op care only
Typical Low
$29.51
Median
$31.62
Typical High
$50.12

Where Tennessee sits

The same service costs 6.1 times more in Alaska than in Maryland. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

Physician feeFacility fee

Tennessee· 17th of 51

$1,880

$468 physician + $1,413 facility

AK $5,496MD $901

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.