Price Checker / CPT 53020
How much does Incision Of Urethra cost?
CPT 53020 · Based on 2026 Medicare rates and hospital-published pricing
The average hospital charge is around 30x the fair price — among the most extreme markups. Dispute this.
Fair price
$130–$260
What this should cost
With insurance
~$2,600
Typical out-of-pocket
Overcharged if over
$330
Push back above this
The average hospital charge of $5,897 is $5,697 over the fair price (about 30x the fair rate).
What hospitals charge for Incision Of Urethra
From hospital-published transparency (MRF) files. These are the hospitals in our database that list this procedure.
| Hospital | Gross Charge | Cash Rate | vs Medicare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Medical Center Lawton, OK | $9,830 | — | 11307% |
| JFK Memorial Hospital , CA | — | — | 10558% |
| Centrastate Medical Center FREEHOLD, NJ | $8,535 | $2,523 | 9805% |
| AnMed Health ANDERSON, SC | — | — | 9638% |
| AnMed Health Cannon ANDERSON, SC | — | — | 9638% |
| AnMed Health North Campus Anderson, SC | — | — | 9638% |
| McLaren Flint FLINT, MI | $8,293 | $4,146 | 9524% |
| "Atrium Health Ballantyne Emergency Department , a facility of Atrium Health Pineville" | — | — | 6914% |
| Atrium Health Cabarrus , NC | — | — | 6914% |
| Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center , NC | — | — | 6914% |
| "Atrium Health Harrisburg Emergency Department , a facility of Atrium Health Cabarrus" | — | — | 6914% |
| "Atrium Health Huntersville Emergency Department , a facility of Atrium Health University City" | — | — | 6914% |
| "Atrium Health Kannapolis Emergency Department , a facility of Atrium Health Cabarrus" | — | — | 6914% |
| "Atrium Health Lake Norman Hospital , a facility of Atrium Health University City" | — | — | 6914% |
| "Atrium Health Levin Children's Hospital , a facility of Carolinas Medical Center" | — | — | 6914% |
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 Incision Of Urethra
CPT code 53020 refers to incision of urethra (billing description: "Incision of urethra"). Under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, it is reimbursed at $86 in a facility (hospital or surgery center) and $86 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.