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Difficult Bladder Catheter Placement

North Carolina rates for HCPCS 51703

This is the placement of a temporary tube into the bladder to drain urine in a case made difficult by scarring, altered anatomy, or a prior catheter that broke or would not come out normally. It requires more skill and time than a routine catheter placement because of these added complications.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Difficult Bladder Catheter Placement cost?

$151

Typical negotiated rate. In North Carolina, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $151 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $151 from a physician practice, and about $251 from a hospital or other facility. The two figures are alternatives, not parts of one bill.

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 7 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Where it's billed changes the price

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$151$100 to $240
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$251$148 to $513

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $251 · 10th to 90th $78 to $4,074Professionalmedian $151 · 10th to 90th $74 to $389
$20$100$500$2Kfacility $251professional $151

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
$112.20
Median
$251.19
Typical High
$4,466.84
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$74.13
Median
$147.91
Typical High
$398.11
Ambetter
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$102.33
Median
$138.04
Typical High
$251.19
BCBS
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$109.65
Median
$199.53
Typical High
$371.54
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$100.00
Median
$177.83
Typical High
$302.00
Medcost
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$74.13
Median
$147.91
Typical High
$251.19
Medcost
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$79.43
Median
$79.43
Typical High
$354.81
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$363.08
Median
$891.25
Typical High
$2,089.30
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$79.43
Median
$138.04
Typical High
$251.19
Wellcare
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$56.23
Median
$1,288.25
Typical High
$1,288.25
Wellcare
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,071.52
Median
$1,071.52
Typical High
$1,230.27

Where North Carolina sits

The same service costs 3.5 times more in Alaska than in West Virginia. 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.

North Carolina· 37th of 51

$151

AK $331WV $95.50

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.