A routine checkup in the United States typically costs between $0 and $300, depending on whether you have insurance, where you go, and what happens during the visit. If you have health insurance through the marketplace or an employer, preventive checkups are almost always covered at no cost to you. Without insurance, expect to pay $100 to $300 for the office visit alone, with lab work adding $30 to $100 on top of that.
What a Checkup Costs With Insurance
Under the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans must cover preventive care visits with no copay, no coinsurance, and no deductible. This applies to annual physicals, well-child visits, and standard screenings like blood pressure checks and cholesterol tests, as long as you see an in-network provider. The key word is “preventive.” If your visit stays within the bounds of a standard wellness exam, you should pay $0.
There’s a catch, though. If your doctor addresses a new symptom, investigates an abnormality, or manages an existing condition during that same appointment, the visit can be split into two billing codes: one for the preventive portion (still free) and one for the “problem-focused” portion (which you’ll owe money on). The American Medical Association’s billing guidelines say this split is appropriate when the additional issue requires “significant” extra work. In practice, this means mentioning knee pain or asking about a suspicious mole during your annual physical could trigger a separate charge. That diagnostic portion of the visit is subject to your normal copay and deductible.
This surprises many people who walk into what they thought was a free checkup and later receive a bill for $50 to $200. To avoid it, some patients schedule a separate appointment for non-preventive concerns. Others simply ask their doctor during the visit whether discussing a particular issue will change how it’s billed.
What a Checkup Costs Without Insurance
Without insurance, a standard office visit for an adult checkup runs roughly $150 to $300 at most private practices and clinics. The exact price depends on the complexity of the visit. A straightforward wellness exam on the lower end uses a simpler billing code, while a more thorough evaluation with detailed history-taking and physical exam pushes closer to $300 or more. At a children’s hospital, self-pay rates for office visits range from about $180 for a basic visit to nearly $380 for a more complex one.
Lab work is extra. Common blood tests ordered during a checkup include a complete blood count ($29), a cholesterol and lipid panel ($59), and a hemoglobin A1C test for diabetes risk ($39). Most routine checkups involve at least one or two panels, so budget an additional $30 to $100 for standard bloodwork. Specialized tests or imaging will cost more.
Vaccinations also add to the bill. Administration fees alone run about $40 to $42 per shot, not including the cost of the vaccine itself. A well-child visit that includes two or three immunizations can easily add $100 or more beyond the office visit fee.
Medicare Wellness Visits
Medicare covers a yearly “Wellness” visit at no cost. You pay nothing for the visit itself, and the Part B deductible doesn’t apply, as long as your provider accepts Medicare assignment. New enrollees also get a one-time “Welcome to Medicare” preventive visit during their first 12 months on Part B.
One important distinction: the Medicare wellness visit is not the same as a full physical exam. It focuses on updating your health risk assessment, reviewing medications, and creating a personalized prevention plan. If your doctor performs additional tests or services during that visit that go beyond what Medicare classifies as preventive, you may owe coinsurance and your Part B deductible could apply. Medicare’s own website notes you could “have to pay the full amount” for a routine physical exam, since that’s technically not a covered benefit separate from the wellness visit.
Lower-Cost Options
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community clinics that use a sliding fee scale based on your income. If your household income falls at or below the federal poverty level (about $15,060 for an individual in 2024), you qualify for a full discount and may pay nothing or only a nominal fee. Partial discounts apply if your income is between 100% and 200% of the poverty level, with at least three tiers of reduced pricing. Above 200% of the poverty level, you pay the standard fee. There are roughly 1,400 FQHC organizations across the country operating thousands of sites, so most areas have at least one option.
Retail clinics inside pharmacies and grocery stores offer another budget-friendly route. These walk-in clinics typically charge $75 to $150 for a basic checkup and can handle straightforward preventive care, though they may not offer the continuity of a regular doctor.
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based model where you pay your doctor a flat monthly fee, typically $50 to $100 per person, and receive unlimited visits with no per-appointment charges. Most DPC practices include basic lab work, extended appointments, and care coordination in the membership. For someone without insurance who needs regular checkups, this model can be significantly cheaper over the course of a year than paying per visit. The monthly fees are capped at $150 per individual (or $300 per family) for those using a Health Savings Account to pay.
What Drives the Final Price
The sticker price of a checkup varies widely based on several factors. Geography matters: the same visit costs more in Manhattan than in rural Arkansas. The type of facility matters too. A large hospital-affiliated practice typically charges more than an independent physician’s office for the same service, because hospital systems add facility fees.
Your age and health status play a role as well. Pediatric checkups follow a specific schedule (more frequent in the first few years of life), and each visit often includes vaccinations that add to the cost. Adult checkups become more involved with age as screening recommendations expand to include things like colonoscopies, bone density scans, and cancer screenings, each carrying its own price tag beyond the basic visit.
If you’re paying out of pocket, always ask the office for their self-pay or cash-pay rate before the appointment. Many practices offer a discount of 20% to 40% off the listed price for patients who pay at the time of service rather than going through insurance billing. You can also request an itemized estimate in advance so there are no surprises.