How Much Does A Primary Care Visit Cost Without Insurance

There may come a time when you don’t have access to health insurance. While health insurance aims to make medical care more affordable, the good news is that you can still receive basic health care services without insurance.

Let’s take a closer look at what a primary care visit costs without insurance.

*Please keep in mind that these are estimations based on average cost. If you need medical attention, contact your local doctor’s office or call your insurance company for more information.

Estimated Cost of Visiting a Primary Care Doctor with Insurance

Primary care refers to health care services that help prevent and treat common illnesses and medical conditions. Types of primary care services include annual physical exams, important health screenings, lab tests, blood work, check-ups, vaccinations and follow-up appointments.

Primary care is important to your whole health and wellness, and medical insurance generally pays a significant amount of the charges. You may be required to pay a copay — a fixed amount set for a specific medical service, or meet a deductible — the amount you pay before your insurance starts covering all charges.

While health insurance policies differ, most will require a 10 to 50-dollar copay for primary care visits. Alternatively, primary care visits without insurance can range from 150 to 300 dollars just for the doctor visit.

Visit us here for the full list of AdventHealth Primary Care+ accepted insurance providers.

Cost of Visiting a Primary Care Doctor Without Insurance

Without medical insurance, you’ll have to pay the full cost of any medical treatment you receive, called out-of-pocket costs. This can get very expensive fast. Unfortunately, people decide not to receive medical help because they cannot afford them.

People without medical insurance normally pay two to five times more for medical services than those with insurance coverage.

Studies show that patients without insurance are often charged 2.5 times more for hospital services than most patients with health insurance.

While the cost of primary care visits without insurance varies, here's a look at what someone without insurance may pay for common medical services:

• Blood tests: 29 to 99 dollars per test/panel
• COVID-19 vaccine: about 200 dollars
• Fetal ultrasound: about 400 dollars
• Flu shot: 25 to 90 dollars
• Pap smear: 39 to 125 dollars
• Pediatric vaccinations: about 650 dollars
• Pediatric visit: around 100 dollars
• Primary care office visit: 70 to 300 dollars
• Shingles vaccine: about 400 dollars
• X-rays: 100 to 1,000+ dollars

It’s important to note that exterior factors affect the cost of primary care visits.

Factors That Impact the Cost of a Primary Care Visit Without Insurance

Several factors can influence the cost of primary care visits without insurance.

One is location — different regions of the U.S. have higher health care costs than others. A recent survey found that North Carolina, Florida, Texas, South Carolina, Georgia and Louisiana are currently the six most expensive states for health care.

The type of health care facility you visit may also contribute to your medical expenses. For example, a private practice will generally have higher rates for services than a nonprofit hospital or community health clinic. An urgent care visit will almost always cost less than a trip to the emergency room.

Depending on your medical needs, fees can add up quickly, especially for more complex primary care visits requiring many tests and specialist referrals.

Because uninsured medical bills can sometimes be too expensive to pay, many medical practices provide sliding scale discounts to help make them more affordable. Sliding scale discounts are determined by a person's income and family size. While not all private practices offer sliding scale discounts, all Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are required to offer them.

The Importance of Preventive Care

While the cost of a primary care visit without insurance may cost you more out-of-pocket than it would with insurance, it’s important to remember how vital primary care is to your overall health and wellness.

By having an annual wellness visit and physical exam, your primary care provider can get a broad view of your current health, provide you with recommendations on how to improve your health and pick up on potential health conditions before they become an issue.

While self-pay options may seem difficult to justify, paying the upfront cost for a primary care visit may help you save money in the long run if your doctor detects an illness early.

For example, if your primary care physician discovers you’re pre-diabetic, they can save you from paying an average of 2.3 times more.

90% of annual health care payments in the U.S. go to treating chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease. Primary care visits can help provide early detection of chronic conditions, preventing you from needing expensive medical treatments in the future.

At AdventHealth Primary Care+, we’re committed to ensuring you have access to affordable health care, regardless of your insurance status. We offer a variety of options to make that possible, including:

• Bundled and alternate payment plans
• Financial assistance
• "Good Faith Estimate" detailing how much your medical care will cost
• Patient financial advocates

You can use our online price estimator to understand how much your health care will cost based on where you live and your anticipated services.

Understanding Your Primary Care Visit Cost Without Insurance

Many people in the U.S. experience life with no health insurance. As of the beginning of 2024, more than 8% of Americans didn’t have health insurance. People with employer-provided medical insurance have an 8.5% chance of losing their coverage over two years, while those with Medicaid have a 20% chance.

While paying for your primary care medical needs may seem daunting, it’s important to remember that taking advantage of primary care services keeps you healthy and your bills lower in the long run.

Your Ever-Present Support

At AdventHealth Primary Care+, we understand the worth of preventive care. We’ll work with you to ensure your primary care costs without insurance don’t stand in the way of receiving the whole-person health you deserve. Find a primary care provider near you today.