Price Checker / CPT 19297
How much does Place Breast Cath For Rad cost?
CPT 19297 · Based on 2026 Medicare rates and hospital-published pricing
The average hospital charge is around 84x the fair price — among the most extreme markups. Dispute this.
Fair price
$120–$250
What this should cost
With insurance
~$3,400
Typical out-of-pocket
Overcharged if over
$310
Push back above this
The average hospital charge of $16,035 is $15,845 over the fair price (about 84x the fair rate).
What hospitals charge for Place Breast Cath For Rad
From hospital-published transparency (MRF) files. These are the hospitals in our database that list this procedure.
| Hospital | Gross Charge | Cash Rate | vs Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Lansdale Hospital Lansdale, PA | — | — | 43223% |
| Dominican Hospital SANTA CRUZ, CA | — | — | 42645% |
| Arroyo Grande Community Hospital , CA | — | — | 31374% |
| HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE CLEAR LAKE Webster, TX | — | — | 29959% |
| HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE KINGWOOD Kingwood, TX | — | — | 29959% |
| HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE WEST Houston, TX | — | — | 29959% |
| THE WOMANS HOSPITAL OF TEXAS Houston, TX | — | — | 29959% |
| CENTENNIAL HOSPITAL A CAMPUS OF TMCA Lakewood, CO | — | — | 29520% |
| CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center SANTA FE, NM | — | — | 28687% |
| UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital SAN FRANCISCO, CA | — | — | 28247% |
| "Children's Hospital of Michigan" DETROIT, MI | — | — | 28193% |
| "St. John's Hospital Camarillo" SPRINGFIELD, CA | — | — | 27781% |
| St. Anne Hospital , WA | — | — | 26135% |
| METROPOLITAN METHODIST San Antonio, TX | — | — | 25939% |
| Southlake Specialty Hospital LLC Southlake, TX | — | — | 25879% |
Were you billed for this procedure?
Send us your bill and we'll compare every line item against Medicare rates and your hospital's published prices. Free review, no obligation.
About Place Breast Cath For Rad
CPT code 19297 refers to place breast cath for rad (billing description: "Place breast cath for rad"). Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, it is reimbursed at $83 in a facility (hospital or surgery center) and $83 in a doctor's office.
The Medicare rate is the closest thing to an objective "what this work is actually worth." A fair cash price for the uninsured is generally 1.5–3x that rate. Hospital sticker (gross) charges are often far higher — but almost nobody actually pays them.
What to do if you were overcharged
- 1Send us your bill — we'll identify this code and compare it against the rates shown above.
- 2Get a dispute letter — citing the Medicare rate and your hospital's own published pricing data.
- 3We negotiate for you — 25% of savings, no savings = no fee.