Cost of a Skin Biopsy Visit
in South Dakota
Reviewed by Momentary Medical Group West PC
South Dakota's vast rural landscape creates unique challenges for specialty care access, with patients often traveling significant distances for dermatological services. Skin Biopsy visits across the state typically range from $37.66 to $242.27, with a median cost of $88.53 based on negotiated insurance rates. With 70 active providers throughout South Dakota, patients have multiple options for accessing care, though geographic distribution varies significantly between urban centers like Sioux Falls and Rapid City versus rural communities.
Average
$123
Median
$89
Lowest
$38
Highest
$242
Providers
70
1% below national average
Compare Similar Procedures
How does skin biopsy compare to related procedures in South Dakota?
| Procedure | CPT | Low | Median | High | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Injection Injection into a major joint or bursa | 20610 | $48 | $85 | $268 | 77 |
| Abscess Drainage (I&D) Incision and drainage of abscess, simple | 10060 | $83 | $143 | $309 | 68 |
| Blood Draw (Venipuncture) Routine venipuncture for blood sample | 36415 | $3 | $3 | $3 | 348 |
Important: These are cost estimates only — not a quote and not medical advice.
The prices on this page are self-pay rates, drawn from federal Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files (CPT 11102 — Tangential biopsy of skin, single lesion). They represent what a patient might pay without insurance.
Your actual cost depends on: your specific insurance plan, your remaining deductible, your coinsurance percentage, whether you have met your out-of-pocket maximum, whether the facility and provider are both in-network, and any separate anesthesia or implant fees billed independently.
This page does not constitute medical advice. Whether you need this procedure, and which approach is right for you, is a decision to make with a licensed healthcare provider.
Where this data comes from & what CPT 11102 covers
Data source: Cost figures are derived from UnitedHealthcare Transparency in Coverage machine-readable files for CPT code 11102 (Tangential biopsy of skin, single lesion), as mandated by the CMS Price Transparency Rule.
What CPT 11102 covers: the provider's professional fee for skin biopsy. It does not include facility/hospital fees, anesthesia, pre-operative imaging, post-operative care, or any add-on codes billed separately.
How to read this data
Negotiated Rate
The discounted price an insurer has agreed to pay a specific provider. Most insured patients' bills are calculated from this number, not the higher list price hospitals publish separately.
P5, Median, P95
P5 is the rate at the 5th percentile (low end), Median is the middle value, and P95 is the 95th percentile (high end). This range shows how much the same visit can vary between providers.
What this does not tell you
These rates do not tell you what you personally will pay out of pocket. That depends on your specific plan, how much of your deductible you have already met, your coinsurance rate, and whether the provider is in your network. Call your insurer's member line to get your exact estimate.
Why Skin Biopsy Visit Costs Vary Across South Dakota
South Dakota's healthcare costs run approximately 3% above the national average, driven by the state's rural geography and relatively limited provider competition in many regions. The concentration of specialty services in Sioux Falls and Rapid City creates cost disparities across the state, with rural patients often facing higher travel costs but sometimes lower procedure fees.
Urban vs. Rural Provider Availability
Most of South Dakota's dermatologists practice in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen, leaving vast rural areas underserved and requiring patients to travel significant distances for care. This geographic concentration allows urban providers to maintain higher rates due to demand, while some rural practitioners may offer competitive pricing to attract patients from wider geographic areas. Telemedicine consultations are increasingly bridging this gap for follow-up visits and initial screenings.
Facility Type and Overhead Costs
Sanford Health and Avera Health dominate South Dakota's healthcare landscape, operating hospital-based specialty clinics that often charge facility fees alongside physician services. Independent dermatology practices typically offer more transparent pricing without additional facility charges, though they're less common outside major metropolitan areas. These large health systems' market power can influence negotiated rates with insurers throughout the state.
Insurance Market Competition in South Dakota
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, Sanford Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare control most of the state's commercial insurance market, creating moderate competition for negotiated rates. The relatively small population and limited number of specialists can reduce insurers' leverage in rate negotiations compared to larger states. Rural counties may have even fewer insurer options, potentially limiting competitive pressure on healthcare pricing.
Physician Supply and Demand in South Dakota
With 70 active Skin Biopsy providers serving the entire state's population of approximately 895,000, South Dakota maintains reasonable specialist availability compared to more rural states. However, this provider count is heavily concentrated in urban areas, creating longer wait times and higher demand in cities like Sioux Falls and Rapid City. The supply-demand imbalance allows established practices to maintain premium pricing, especially for same-week or urgent appointments.
Jayant Panwar
CEO, Momentary Labs · San Francisco, CA
Jayant has analyzed healthcare pricing data from CMS Transparency in Coverage files since 2022, covering more than 50 million negotiated rate records across all 50 states. His work focuses on making insurer machine-readable files accessible to patients and researchers.
The cost figures on this page reflect his ongoing work to make this data accessible to patients.
Frequently Asked Questions — Skin Biopsy Costs in South Dakota
What is the average cost of a Skin Biopsy visit in South Dakota without insurance?
Does South Dakota Medicaid cover Skin Biopsy visits?
How do I find an affordable Skin Biopsy near me in South Dakota?
What is the difference in cost between an initial consultation and a follow-up visit?
Can I use an HSA or FSA to pay for a Skin Biopsy visit in South Dakota?
How does telemedicine affect the cost of seeing a Skin Biopsy in South Dakota?
Click a state to compare costs
Average Visit Cost
Office visit (CPT 11102)
Compare With Other States
| Rank | State | Average↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Range: $62 – $387 | $200 |
| 2 | Rhode Island Range: $35 – $387 | $187 |
| 3 | New Hampshire Range: $103 – $251 | $182 |
| 4 | Connecticut Range: $47 – $387 | $181 |
| 5 | Wisconsin Range: $60 – $387 | $181 |
| 6 | New York Range: $49 – $387 | $179 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania Range: $34 – $387 | $173 |
| 8 | West Virginia Range: $34 – $387 | $171 |
| 9 | Delaware Range: $33 – $387 | $169 |
| 10 | Nebraska Range: $47 – $242 | $167 |
| 11 | Maine Range: $100 – $206 | $164 |
| 12 | Wyoming Range: $53 – $307 | $150 |
| 13 | Vermont Range: $73 – $249 | $149 |
| 14 | North Dakota Range: $42 – $300 | $146 |
| 15 | Minnesota Range: $33 – $310 | $144 |
| 16 | Iowa Range: $54 – $251 | $143 |
| 17 | Utah Range: $54 – $220 | $130 |
| 18 | District of Columbia Range: $34 – $250 | $127 |
| 19 | Oregon Range: $54 – $242 | $126 |
| 20 | South Dakota Range: $38 – $242 | $123 |
| 21 | New Mexico Range: $46 – $221 | $119 |
| 22 | Illinois Range: $37 – $230 | $118 |
| 23 | Washington Range: $52 – $220 | $118 |
| 24 | Georgia Range: $39 – $219 | $117 |
| 25 | Florida Range: $33 – $229 | $115 |
| 26 | Colorado Range: $43 – $221 | $115 |
| 27 | North Carolina Range: $39 – $209 | $114 |
| 28 | California Range: $80 – $171 | $112 |
| 29 | Indiana Range: $35 – $211 | $110 |
| 30 | Michigan Range: $38 – $201 | $110 |
| 31 | New Jersey Range: $21 – $230 | $108 |
| 32 | Hawaii Range: $37 – $200 | $107 |
| 33 | Texas Range: $34 – $194 | $105 |
| 34 | Maryland Range: $34 – $203 | $104 |
| 35 | South Carolina Range: $34 – $186 | $102 |
| 36 | Nevada Range: $72 – $145 | $101 |
| 37 | Virginia Range: $30 – $193 | $101 |
| 38 | Idaho Range: $47 – $175 | $101 |
| 39 | Oklahoma Range: $32 – $187 | $99 |
| 40 | Missouri Range: $36 – $136 | $94 |
| 41 | Ohio Range: $30 – $164 | $94 |
| 42 | Louisiana Range: $31 – $170 | $94 |
| 43 | Tennessee Range: $36 – $160 | $94 |
| 44 | Kentucky Range: $50 – $144 | $91 |
| 45 | Arkansas Range: $39 – $146 | $90 |
| 46 | Kansas Range: $36 – $140 | $90 |
| 47 | Montana Range: $80 – $108 | $89 |
| 48 | Alabama Range: $31 – $152 | $88 |
| 49 | Mississippi Range: $32 – $152 | $88 |
| 50 | Alaska Range: $80 – $95 | $85 |
| 51 | Arizona Range: $32 – $132 | $78 |