How Much Does a Nerve Conduction Test Cost?

Last Updated on October 6, 2025 | Prices Last Reviewed for Freshness: November 2025
Written by Alec Pow – Economic & Pricing Investigator | Medical Review by Sarah Nguyen, MD

Educational content; not medical advice. Prices are typical estimates and may exclude insurance benefits; confirm with a licensed clinician and your insurer.

People search nerve conduction test cost because they want a clean number, a fair bill, and no last-minute add-ons. Nerve conduction studies help a clinician confirm neuropathy, carpal tunnel, radiculopathy, or other nerve problems, and the price depends on how many nerves are tested, whether an EMG is added, and the site of service. The ranges below reflect cash menus, marketplace bundles, and common insurer patterns in 2024–2025.

At a glance, most cash or self-pay quotes cluster from the low hundreds for small studies to just over the thousand mark for larger panels. Marketplace listings show mid-range bundles that include the study and interpretation, while many clinics publish line items by CPT family. If your clinician orders an EMG with the nerve test, expect another modest charge. Hospital outpatient departments tend to sit higher than private clinics or mobile diagnostic teams.

You will see real bills, not just list prices. The examples mix uninsured, commercial, and Medicare cases so you can anchor a likely out-of-pocket number before you book. What a nerve conduction study (NCS) is, and how trained electrodiagnostic physicians pair NCS with EMG when needed, provides the clinical backdrop for the prices you’ll see.

Article Highlights

• Typical self-pay ranges span $250–$1,273, driven by nerves tested and setting.
• Clinic menus often post $310 for 9–10 nerves and $150 per EMG limb, which keeps small studies under $600 all-in.
• Marketplace bundles show $366–$880 for 7–8 nerves and $679–$1,273 for 9–10 nerves, with some in-office networks around $304–$337.
• Policies from Cigna and Blue plans endorse full NCS with EMG when indicated and treat automated point-of-care screens differently for coverage.
• AANEM and Cleveland Clinic provide plain-language explanations of what the test measures and why EMG is frequently paired with NCS.

How Much Does a Nerve Conduction Test Cost?

Across the United States, self-pay nerve conduction study prices sit in a broad band that tracks the number of nerves tested. MDsave lists NCS 7–8 nerves at $366–$880 and NCS 9–10 nerves at $679–$1,273, which aligns with what patients report when shopping large metro areas and mid-sized cities. In some regions, limited in-office networks post $304–$337 for similar tiers.

Clinic menus can price lower, especially when a practice posts a straightforward CPT ladder. One published menu shows $140 for 1–2 nerves, $250 for 7–8 nerves, $310 for 9–10 nerves, and $410 for more than 12 nerves, with EMG per limb at $150. Those are single-practice cash figures, yet they show how step-ups by complexity add to the total. A separate provider list that mixes professional and technical components shows similar escalators across CPT 95907–95913.

Insurance changes the path to the final bill. Plans often apply the study to a deductible, then a coinsurance or copay. Policies from national payers describe NCS and needle EMG as covered when medically necessary and performed by trained clinicians, and they flag automated point-of-care systems as investigational for diagnosis. That policy difference explains why you may see a very low quote for a limited automated screen and a higher, covered price for a full study.

Real-Life Cost Examples

Commercial plan, large city. A patient in Dallas with numbness in the first three fingers schedules an NCS 7–8 nerves. Regional pricing shows mid-range figures around $608 for that panel. The patient hasn’t met the deductible, so the clinic runs the insurer’s allowed amount, applies the balance to the deductible, and collects about six hundred dollars. If an EMG of one limb is added, the practice posts $150 extra when the plan excludes that code for the indication.

You might also like our articles on the cost of EMG testing, spinal cord stimulation, or stress tests with Echo.

Uninsured self-pay, mid-sized market. A self-pay shopper compares marketplace bundles for NCS 9–10 nerves at $679–$1,273 with a local clinic that posts $310 for the same CPT tier. The shopper picks the clinic and pays three hundred ten dollars at the desk. The reading physician’s interpretation is included, so no second bill arrives later. Small bills snowball.

Medicare beneficiary with multiple comorbidities. A retiree referred for suspected peripheral neuropathy needs a combined study. Policies describe NCS and EMG as reasonable when clinically indicated, and local billing follows the Physician Fee Schedule for professional services with modest coinsurance. Out-of-pocket is usually limited and may be fully absorbed if a Medigap plan is in place. Blue plans publish criteria that mirror this approach; see published criteria.

Worked total for planning. If you buy an NCS 9–10 nerves at $310 from a clinic that also recommends one-limb EMG at $150, add a facility or room fee of $40–$75, plus a short report charge if billed separately at $25–$50. Your realistic all-in target lands near $525–$585, which fits the middle of posted menus and sits below hospital outpatient totals in the same cities.

Cost Breakdown

Most bills sort into five parts. The base procedure covers nerve stimulation and recording across a defined number of sensory and motor nerves. Professional fees cover the specialist who plans the study, supervises it, and interprets the tracings. Facility and equipment fees cover the room, the device, and consumables. Add-ons are common, with EMG per limb as the most frequent. Optional services include urgent scheduling or mobile team deployment for patients who cannot travel.

Use the table as a quick map of common tiers and add-ons. Amounts reflect current menus and marketplace ranges and can be combined when a plan requires both NCS and EMG on the same day.

The spread comes from where you test and who bills which component. Hospital outpatient departments stack a technical fee on top of the professional fee that a clinic might bundle, and insurers may route the claim differently if both NCS and EMG appear. Policies from major payers describe full NCS and EMG as the standard for diagnosis, while automated point-of-care devices are often handled differently; see this policy.

Hidden costs are usually modest. Expect basic pre-test labs only if your clinician has another reason, interpretation fees at $25–$50 when unbundled, travel or parking at $10–$30, and a no-show charge near $25–$75 if you cancel late. These don’t change the core diagnostic value, but they do nudge the final invoice.

Factors Influencing the Cost

Complexity and scope. The most direct driver is the number of nerves and whether EMG appears on the order. CPT families step from 95907 up to 95913 as nerves increase, and per-limb EMG codes add to the line count. A narrow carpal tunnel study sits at the low end, while a multi-limb neuropathy workup climbs the ladder.

Site of service. Private clinics price competitively and often publish menus, which creates a ceiling for local shoppers. Hospital outpatient departments carry higher technical components, which your insurer may allow at a higher level. The gap between clinic menus near $310 and market bundles up to $1,273 for similar tiers is the setting effect in plain sight.

Who performs and interprets. Trained electrodiagnostic physicians should supervise and interpret. That requirement protects quality and helps payers distinguish a full, covered study from low-cost automated screens.

Region and demand. Large coastal metros often sit at the top of the range, college towns and mid-sized markets land in the middle, and rural areas sometimes publish either very low clinic menus or higher hospital totals when only one local option exists.

Policy trends and technology. Medical policies updated in 2024–2025 reaffirm full NCS with EMG as the diagnostic standard and place automated point-of-care tests in an investigational box—one reason “too-good-to-be-true” screening prices may fall outside normal coverage.

A final planning thought lands here as the one long sentence you might want to pin somewhere on your phone (yes, it’s a mouthful): ask the clinic to state the exact CPT tier, the site of service, and whether EMG is included, then request the cash total and the allowed amount on your plan so you can compare apples to apples.

Alternative Products or Services

Electromyography without nerve conduction can answer a different question about muscle activation and motor unit patterns, and clinics price the test per limb around $150–$350 based on current menus. When the clinical question is median neuropathy at the wrist or a focal ulnar pattern, a proper NCS usually remains the primary test.

Some patients are sent to imaging instead. Ultrasound of peripheral nerves runs far less than an MRI and can show enlargement or entrapment in real time, which pairs well with an NCS. MRI sits higher in price and answers structural questions about the spine or proximal plexus rather than distal nerve conduction. Major payer policies group somatosensory evoked potentials and other neurophysiology studies as separate indications that are not substitutes for routine NCS and EMG.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does an NCS cost without insurance?

Small studies at clinics can be $250–$350. Larger panels on cash marketplaces list $679–$1,273, and some in-office networks post $304–$337.

What adds to the bill beyond the base test?

EMG per limb at $150–$350, a modest facility fee at $40–$150, and small charges for interpretation or late cancellations when unbundled.

Are automated point-of-care nerve tests covered?

Many plans classify them as investigational for diagnosis, which changes payment or denies coverage, while full NCS and EMG remain covered when medically necessary.

Is a hospital more expensive than a clinic for NCS?

Hospital outpatient departments tend to bill higher technical components. Clinic menus and marketplace bundles are usually lower for similar CPT tiers.

What is the medical difference between NCS and EMG?

NCS measures how fast and how strong signals travel along nerves, while EMG evaluates muscle electrical activity during rest and contraction. Both pieces help define neuropathy and radiculopathy.

Prices and policies verified as of October 2025. Always request an itemized pre-service estimate that lists CPT tier, site of service, whether EMG is included, and any facility or interpretation fees.