Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Your out-of-pocket cost at Sentara Norfolk General depends heavily on which insurance plan you have—there's a threefold difference between what Sentara Health Plan members pay and what UnitedHealthcare members pay for the same procedures. If you have Anthem or Cigna, expect to see gross charges roughly triple the cash price; Sentara Health Plan and Humana members typically see smaller markups. Call your insurance company before scheduling to confirm what your specific procedure costs with your plan, since what your neighbor pays could be very different.

For your next step, contact Sentara's billing department and ask for the cash price quote for your specific procedure—it averages around $1,260 for the procedures they publicly price. If you're uninsured or paying out-of-pocket, that's your real number. Ask directly whether they offer a payment plan if cost is a concern. The hospital's quality metrics are in line with national averages, so your decision here should come down to convenience and what your insurance actually covers.