EEG Cost

Typical costs:

• For patients covered by health insurance, typical out-of-pocket costs for an EEG would consist of a copay or coinsurance of 10%-50%. An EEG typically is covered by health insurance when medically necessary to diagnose or monitor a problem, or during surgery.
• For patients not covered by health insurance, an EEG typically costs $200-$700 or more for a standard EEG -- or up to $3,000 or more if extended monitoring is required. For example, Garden City Hospital[1] in Michigan charges $749 for an EEG, but offers the test for $199 through a special program for uninsured patients. St. Peter's Hospital[2] in Montana charges almost $500 for an awake-and-asleep EEG, about $630 for an awake-and-drowsy EEG and almost $1,300 for a 24-hour EEG. And Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center[3] in Nebraska, not including doctor fee, charges about $650 for an awake-and-drowsy EEG, about $700 for an awake-and-asleep EEG, about $1,100 for extended EEG monitoring of over an hour, and about $3,000 for EEG monitoring and video recording for 24 hours.

• An EEG technologist will ask the patient to lie down and will use a sticky paste to attach multiple electrodes to the scalp. The provider might then ask the patient to perform various activities, such as stare at a light, relax with the eyes closed and go to sleep. The test usually takes about an hour and a half. A computer screen displays a graph of the brain waves, and the test is later interpreted by a neurologist with special EEG training. The National Institutes of Health offers an EEG overview[4] .
• In some cases, such as to diagnose epilepsy, extended monitoring might be required. In an ambulatory EEG[5] , for example, the patient goes about daily activities for up to 72 hours while wearing monitoring equipment. And in an extended EEG, the patient is monitored, typically in a hospital setting, for 24 hours or more, usually with video recording[6] .

• If a standard EEG does not provide sufficient information, an extended EEG might be required at a typical cost of $1,000-$3,000 or more.

• Many hospitals give discounts of up to 30% or more to uninsured/cash-paying patients. For example, Washington Hospital Healthcare System[7] in California offers a 35% discount.

• A neurologist or other doctor typically orders an EEG. The American Academy of Neurology offers a neurologist locator[8] by city and state, which offers the ability to search by subspecialty, including doctors who specialize in epilepsy. The EEG typically is performed either at the doctor's office or at a hospital by a trained EEG technologist. If necessary, the doctor ordering the test can make a referral to a hospital.
• For patients suffering from sleep disorders, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers a sleep center locator[9] . Sleep centers often use EEGs to help diagnose sleep disorders.

1.  www.gch.org/Home.aspx?id=219&sid=1
2.  www.stpetes.org/hospital/patient-family-visitor-services/costs
3.  www.saintelizabethonline.com/price-estimator-1.html
4.  www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003931.htm
5.  emedicine.medscape.com/article/1139483-overview
6.  emedicine.medscape.com/article/1137908-overview
7.  www.whhs.com/about/washington-hospital-discount-policy-for-uninsured/
8.  patients.aan.com/findaneurologist/
9.  www.sleepeducation.com/find-a-center

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