Hospital Price Lookup

Cesarean Section (C-Section) Delivery cost in St. Louis, MO

Typical negotiated $686 · range $686 · 3 hospitals · inpatient (a hospital stay) · billed as MS-DRG 786 / 787 / 788 · hospital files updated through June 2026

In the St. Louis area, a C-Section typically has an insurer-negotiated price around $686 across 3 hospitals, usually $686 (full spread $686). Where hospitals publish a self-pay cash price, it runs $10,552–$11,828 (median $11,627). The chargemaster "list" price is far higher — a median of $17,887, which almost no one pays. Figures come from the hospitals' own price-transparency files; your cost depends on your insurance, the exact service, and the hospital.

  1. Chargemaster list price
    $17,887
    range $16,234–$18,197 · 3 hospitals

    The hospital's undiscounted sticker rate — almost no one actually pays it.

  2. Self-pay cash price
    $11,627
    range $10,552–$11,828 · 3 hospitals

    What an uninsured patient paying the hospital directly is offered.

  3. Typical negotiated price most representative
    $686
    one reported figure · 3 hospitals

    What health insurers actually pay, on average — the most representative figure.

How to read these prices

The negotiated price — a median of $686 here, usually $686 — is the most representative figure: it is what health insurers actually pay St. Louis-area hospitals for a C-Section, averaged so a single outlier contract cannot distort it.

The chargemaster list price (median $17,887) is far higher. The chargemaster (list) price is the hospital's undiscounted sticker rate. Almost no one actually pays it — insurers negotiate it down and self-pay patients are usually offered the cash price — but it shows how large the discount off list can be.

The self-pay cash price (median $11,627) is the one you can often ask for directly. A self-pay (cash) price is what the hospital will accept from an uninsured patient who pays directly; hospitals publish one only for some services, and it is often lower than the insurer-negotiated price.

Important — a price reference, not a bill

These figures are aggregated from hospitals' public price-transparency files — not a quote, a bill, an insurance benefit determination, or medical advice. Your actual out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance plan (deductible, copay, coinsurance, network), the exact service and any complications, and which hospital you use. Always confirm price and coverage with the hospital and your insurer before care.

C-Section price by hospital — St. Louis area

Every St. Louis-area hospital reporting a C-Section in its price-transparency file, sorted by negotiated price. A dash means the hospital did not report that price — it is never filled with a guess.
Hospital Negotiated Cash List price
MERCY HOSPITAL SOUTH $686 $11,828 $18,197
MERCY HOSPITAL JEFFERSON $686 $11,627 $17,887
MERCY HOSPITAL WASHINGTON $686 $10,552 $16,234

Source: hospitals' own machine-readable Standard Charges files, published under the U.S. Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR §180.50). Most recent hospital file in this dataset: July 2026. Prices are references, not quotes or bills, and never medical or financial advice — where a hospital reports no price, nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a C-Section cost in St. Louis?
Across 3 St. Louis-area hospitals, the typical insurer-negotiated price for a C-Section is about $686, usually $686. The self-pay cash price, where published, runs $10,552–$11,828. These figures are read from the hospitals' own price-transparency files.
Why is the hospital "list price" for a C-Section so much higher?
The chargemaster list price (a median of $17,887 here) is the undiscounted sticker rate. The chargemaster (list) price is the hospital's undiscounted sticker rate. Almost no one actually pays it — insurers negotiate it down and self-pay patients are usually offered the cash price — but it shows how large the discount off list can be.
What's the difference between the cash price and the negotiated price?
A self-pay (cash) price is what the hospital will accept from an uninsured patient who pays directly; hospitals publish one only for some services, and it is often lower than the insurer-negotiated price. Here the cash median is $11,627 and the negotiated typical is $686.
Is this what I will actually pay?
Not necessarily. Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your insurance plan (deductible, copay, coinsurance, and network), the exact service performed, and which hospital you use. Use these figures to compare and to ask informed questions — they are references, not a bill or a quote.
Where do these prices come from?
Every figure is read from the hospitals' own machine-readable Standard Charges files, published under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule (45 CFR §180.50). Each hospital's file carries its own last-updated date, and prices are refreshed as hospitals republish. No figure on this page is estimated or modeled.

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