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PricedCare

Cesarean section hospital stay, no complications in Boston, MA-NH costs $16,956 to $28,859. Here's every hospital's price.

4 hospitals in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area publish a cash price for cesarean section hospital stay, no complications (MS-DRG 788). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, 4 hospitals list a cash price for cesarean section hospital stay, no complications (MS-DRG 788). The lowest is $16,956 at Lowell General Hospital, the median is $17,303 and the highest is $28,859 at Tufts Medical Center.

The Boston, MA-NH median of $17,303 is 45% above the national median of $11,922 across 256 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

6 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $260 to $31,116. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between January 2026 and April 2026. 35 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$16,956
lowest cash price in Boston, MA-NH
Lowell General Hospital · 19 mi
$347 below the median
$17,303
median cash price
4 hospitals
1.7×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
4/41
hospitals with a cash price
35 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Lowell General Hospital

Lowell · 19 mi · File Apr 2026

$16,956
list $24,222 · lowest of 3 lines
2
Melrosewakefield Healthcare

Melrose · 4 mi · File Apr 2026

$17,303
list $24,718
3
Cambridge Health Alliance

Cambridge · 11 mi · File Mar 2026

$18,228
list $18,228
4
Tufts Medical Center

Boston · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$28,859
list $41,228 · lowest of 3 lines
5
Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital

Brockton · 30 mi · File Jan 2026

—
6
Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington

Burlington · 10 mi · File Apr 2026

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1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for MS-DRG 788. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for MS-DRG 788, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About cesarean section hospital stay, no complications

MS-DRG 788 is the hospital stay for an uncomplicated cesarean birth: operating room, nursing, the mother's room for two to four nights, supplies and medications. About a third of US births are cesarean, and this DRG covers the uncomplicated ones.

What the price covers, and what it does not

The mother's stay only. Not included: the obstetrician (global package 59510), the anesthesiologist, the assistant surgeon, the newborn's own stay and pediatric care (billed to the baby), and laboratory tests. Plan for several separate bills if paying cash, and ask for each in advance.

Why prices vary

Cesarean stays vary two to four times between hospitals in the same area, and the gap between a cesarean and a vaginal delivery at the same hospital is usually 50 to 100 percent. Many hospitals offer a fixed self-pay maternity package that includes a cesarean if needed; it is often the best protection against surprise costs.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for DRG 788, and what is the newborn's stay?
  • Is there a self-pay package that covers both vaginal and cesarean birth?
  • What do anesthesia and the assistant surgeon cost?

Hospitals in Boston, MA-NH without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask