Average Cost of Allergy Shots: What the Data Actually Shows by Payer
Tkacz 2021 (IBM MarketScan, n=103,207) reports mean 12-month AIT healthcare cost $10,431 ± $16,606 — so wide that any single average is uninformative without specifying payer and HOPD status. Medicare-allowed per maintenance visit: ~$24 (CPT 95117 + 95165); HOPD-billed outlier: $24,400 (M Health Fairview, PBS NewsHour 2024). Curex at-home IgE testing has no per-allergen percentile spread; Curex's at-home allergy shots offer pricing confirmed in a current program quote.
Plus the commute, copays, and facility fees that swing with your plan and state.
Commercial terms dated 2026-10-12; consultations included without copay. Total care quote required. Confirm additional charges, testing, initiation, supplies and cancellation terms. Plan rates and terms
The real CPT codes — what your allergist actually charges.
No competitor shows you this. Every shot visit triggers 1–3 CPT codes. Knowing them lets you audit your bill, negotiate cash pay, and verify what insurance covers.
| CPT code | What it covers | Cash pay | Insured copay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 95117 | 2+ allergen injection (dominant SCIT code; the main driver of per-visit average in any claims dataset) 2025 Medicare-allowed $11.97; 2024 was $12.32 (CMS CY 2025 PFS Final Rule, FR Doc 2024-25382). Commercial allowed: BCBS $16.69, Aetna $15.98, UHC $15.10, Cigna $18.05 per PayerPrice April 2026. | Cash pay $25–$55 | Insured $5–$25 |
| 95165 | Multi-dose vial preparation, per 1cc dose (the largest single line item on a vial-prep visit EOB; Medicare defines 1 dose = 1cc, max 10 doses per vial) 2025 Medicare-allowed $13.91/dose; 10-dose vial = $139.10 Medicare-allowed. Vial-prep days generate the highest per-visit averages in claims data and skew the mean upward when HOPDs are included. | Cash pay $40–$120 | Insured $5–$25 |
| 95115 | Single allergen injection — less common; used for single-antigen protocols 2025 Medicare-allowed $10.35. Most multi-allergen maintenance patients see 95117 on their EOB. | Cash pay $18–$35 | Insured $3–$15 |
| 95004 | Percutaneous skin prick test, per allergen — initial diagnostic; per-allergen billing structure drives wide variation in average testing-day costs 2025 Medicare-allowed $3.56/allergen; 40-allergen panel = $142.40 Medicare-allowed. HOPD-billed 40-allergen panels documented at $24,400 (PBS NewsHour Weekend 2024), pulling the 'average' cost of testing dramatically rightward. | Cash pay $20–$40 | Insured $3–$10 |
| 95144 | Single-dose vial preparation, non-venom (less common; contributes to vial-prep averages in claims data) 2025 Medicare-allowed $15.85 per CMS CY 2025 PFS Final Rule. | Cash pay $20–$45 | Insured $5–$15 |
Ranges reflect median commercial allowed amounts (CMS Physician Fee Schedule, MGMA Cost Survey). Your actual amount depends on your plan's in-network rates and deductible status.
Compare clinic bills with a current Curex shot quote.
No 95115, 95117, or 95165 line items to reconcile. One membership covers your serum, dosing, and allergist oversight.
How Curex worksThe real cost in two phases — most articles miss the spike.
Allergy shots split into a costly build-up (6–12 months of frequent visits) and a cheaper maintenance phase. Lumping them gives misleading 'per-month' figures.
Confirm the price for build-up and maintenance.
Conventional shots can cost more during build-up. Confirm your Curex program price and billing cadence before enrolling.
How Curex worksThe hidden costs disappear when you dose at home.
No commute, no missed work, no parking — your weekly injection takes minutes in your own kitchen.
How Curex worksCoverage by major plan — searchable, with copays.
Most articles say 'it depends on your plan.' We list the actual coverage policy for each major carrier.
Confirm coverage for testing and consultations.
Treatment is self-pay. Insurance is accepted for testing and consultations; confirm coverage and patient responsibility.
How Curex worksAllergy shot cost by US state — searchable, sortable.
Cost-of-living and local provider density both shift the price. We pulled medians from CMS/MGMA + commercial payer data.
Hawaii HI | $155 | $2,170 | 184 |
|---|---|---|---|
California CA | $145 | $2,030 | 148 |
New York NY | $145 | $2,030 | 125 |
District of Columbia DC | $145 | $2,030 | 159 |
Massachusetts MA | $138 | $1,932 | 138 |
Connecticut CT | $130 | $1,820 | 122 |
New Jersey NJ | $128 | $1,792 | 117 |
Alaska AK | $120 | $1,680 | 125 |
Maryland MD | $118 | $1,652 | 119 |
New Hampshire NH | $115 | $1,610 | 109 |
Rhode Island RI | $115 | $1,610 | 110 |
Washington WA | $115 | $1,610 | 113 |
Delaware DE | $110 | $1,540 | 105 |
Oregon OR | $110 | $1,540 | 113 |
Colorado CO | $108 | $1,512 | 105 |
Vermont VT | $108 | $1,512 | 116 |
Illinois IL | $105 | $1,470 | 96 |
Minnesota MN | $102 | $1,428 | 95 |
Maine ME | $100 | $1,400 | 113 |
Nevada NV | $100 | $1,400 | 102 |
Pennsylvania PA | $100 | $1,400 | 98 |
Virginia VA | $100 | $1,400 | 101 |
Florida FL | $98 | $1,372 | 101 |
Michigan MI | $96 | $1,344 | 91 |
Wisconsin WI | $96 | $1,344 | 94 |
Arizona AZ | $95 | $1,330 | 102 |
Texas TX | $95 | $1,330 | 92 |
North Carolina NC | $92 | $1,288 | 95 |
Wyoming WY | $92 | $1,288 | 93 |
Georgia GA | $90 | $1,260 | 95 |
Montana MT | $90 | $1,260 | 95 |
North Dakota ND | $90 | $1,260 | 95 |
Ohio OH | $90 | $1,260 | 92 |
South Carolina SC | $90 | $1,260 | 95 |
Utah UT | $90 | $1,260 | 102 |
Alabama AL | $88 | $1,232 | 86 |
Idaho ID | $88 | $1,232 | 94 |
Indiana IN | $88 | $1,232 | 91 |
Louisiana LA | $88 | $1,232 | 93 |
Missouri MO | $88 | $1,232 | 89 |
Nebraska NE | $88 | $1,232 | 92 |
Tennessee TN | $88 | $1,232 | 92 |
Kansas KS | $86 | $1,204 | 89 |
New Mexico NM | $86 | $1,204 | 88 |
South Dakota SD | $86 | $1,204 | 92 |
Iowa IA | $85 | $1,190 | 90 |
Kentucky KY | $84 | $1,176 | 91 |
Oklahoma OK | $84 | $1,176 | 87 |
Arkansas AR | $82 | $1,148 | 84 |
West Virginia WV | $82 | $1,148 | 87 |
Mississippi MS | $80 | $1,120 | 84 |
Compare costs where you receive care.
Clinic costs vary by location and facility. Curex lists a SCIT plan rate separately from total care costs; compare clinic costs with a written quote covering eligibility, initiation and additional charges.
How Curex worksWhat patients actually paid — de-identified EOBs.
Every other article quotes ranges. We show you the real explanation-of-benefits documents — what was billed, what insurance paid, what the patient owed.
EOB image redacted
Maintenance allergy-shot visit in Florida, 2024, Medicare Part B with deductible already met. CPT 95117 ($12.32 Medicare-allowed in 2024) plus a 10-dose vial of CPT 95165 ($14.65/dose × 10 = $146.50 allowed) billed for a total Medicare-allowed amount of $158.82. Medicare paid 80% ($127.06); patient owed the 20% coinsurance of $31.76. This is Case 8 (PFS-anchored to ACAAI 2024 Final RVUs). A Medigap supplement eliminates the $31.76 patient obligation entirely, making this the median Medicare patient experience.
- Billed by provider
- $310
- Paid by insurance
- $127
- Patient owed
- $32
EOB image redacted
Maintenance visit plus new 10-dose vial preparation at a freestanding Illinois allergist, UnitedHealthcare PPO with deductible met, 2024. CPT 95117 plus CPT 95165 × 10 doses billed; UHC applied its contracted rate of $15.10 for the injection component (PayerPrice national average). Patient owed $40 in stacked copays — $20 for the injection and $20 for the vial-prep service. This is Case 5 (REPRESENTATIVE — anchored to PayerPrice UHC 95117 $15.10 and AAOA Stachler 2020 $20-per-shot benchmark). Illustrates the median commercial PPO maintenance visit patient OOP.
- Billed by provider
- $565
- Paid by insurance
- $146
- Patient owed
- $40
EOB image redacted
Skin testing for 40 environmental allergens at a hospital-owned allergy clinic in Minneapolis, 2024 — billed $24,400 total despite nearby freestanding clinics quoting $800–$1,827 for the same panel. This is Case 14 (REAL): Kaitlin Johnson, M Health Fairview, as reported by PBS NewsHour Weekend. Insurance paid approximately $19,000; patient owed $5,400+. This case represents the extreme upper tail of the allergy-cost distribution and is why the Tkacz 2021 standard deviation of $16,606 exceeds the mean of $10,431 — HOPD outliers drive the distribution into deep right-skew.
- Billed by provider
- $24,400
- Paid by insurance
- $19,000
- Patient owed
- $5,400
Allergy immunotherapy, built for home — request your program quote.
Curex brings allergy shot care into your home. The listed SCIT self-pay plan rate is not an all-in care estimate. Confirm additional charges, insurance responsibility for testing and consultations, and billing cadence before enrolling.
Or $1,290/year for the annual plan. Commercial terms dated 2026-10-12; consultations included without copay. Total care quote required; confirm availability, testing, initiation, supplies and any in-person care. Plan rates and terms
- Personalized serum compounded to USP <797> sterile standards
- Weekly subcutaneous injection you give yourself at home
- Your first injection and every dose change supervised live over video
- Board-certified allergist oversight by telehealth
- A prescribed epinephrine auto-injector confirmed on hand before your first dose
- 1A board-certified allergist designs your plan
You complete testing, then an allergist builds your personalized immunotherapy prescription — the same subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) science used in clinics for decades.
- 2Your first injection is supervised live over video
You give your first dose at home on a live video visit, and every time your dose steps up it is re-supervised — so you are never escalating alone.
- 3You continue weekly at home
Serum arrives on a schedule, you self-inject on your own time, and your allergist keeps oversight by telehealth. No commute, no waiting room.
Before your first dose, Curex confirms you have a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector on hand. Doses escalate gradually, week by week, with a board-certified allergist overseeing your progress throughout.
Same proven science — a very different bill.
Conventional clinic shots and Curex are both subcutaneous immunotherapy. The difference is where you do it, how you pay, and what it costs you in time and surprises.
Honest take: the listed SCIT plan rate is not an all-in medical bill. Compare your actual clinic copays and deductible with a complete Curex care estimate, including separately billed services. Lower total costs or savings cannot be promised. See Curex plan rates and additional charges.
Estimate your in-office allergy shot costs.
Estimate the 3-year in-office cost of visits, copays, travel and time. Compare your estimate with actual coverage and a current at-home shot program quote.
Estimate your in-office allergy shot costs
Based on real CPT 95115 / 95117 / 95165 billing data, not generic price ranges.
- Medical & insurance
- $3,771
- Time at clinic (122 hr)
- $3,050
- Travel & gas
- $307
Curex at-home allergy shots
Total care estimate required
The Environmental Allergy Shots Plan lists $129/month or $1,290/year, commercial terms dated 2026-10-12, with consultations included and no consultation copay. These are plan rates, not all-in care totals. Confirm testing, initiation, supplies, in-person care and other charges in a written quote. This calculator does not estimate Curex totals or savings; compare your clinic estimate with the complete quote and actual insurance responsibility.
Confirmed Curex pricing and termsTime at clinic valued at $25/hr opportunity cost (national median wage). Direct medical costs from CMS Physician Fee Schedule + commercial payer data. Travel at $0.21/mi (gas + wear).
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of allergy shots per year in 2026?
There is no meaningful single national average — the distribution is too wide. The most rigorous published dataset, Tkacz et al. 2021 (IBM MarketScan, n=103,207 commercially insured AIT patients), reports a mean 12-month total healthcare cost of $10,431 with a standard deviation of $16,606 for maintenance-cohort patients. Critically, that figure represents total healthcare cost including comorbidity-related spending on asthma, sinusitis, and ENT — not just SCIT line items. The per-visit Medicare-allowed amount for a maintenance shot (CPT 95117 plus amortized vial portion) is approximately $24 in 2025. At a $42 average specialist copay (KFF 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey), a 14-visit maintenance year generates $588 in annual patient OOP — far below the $10,431 Tkacz total.
Why is the Tkacz 2021 average so much higher than what I pay per visit?
The Tkacz 2021 figure ($10,431 mean annual total healthcare cost) includes all healthcare spending for AIT patients — asthma medications, ENT visits, urgent-care encounters for allergic reactions, sinusitis antibiotics, and general medical care — not just allergy-shot line items. The SCIT-specific portion of that total is a fraction of the overall number. Importantly, Tkacz 2021 also reports that 23.9% of AIT patients never returned for their first injection after the index consultation, and those non-completing patients still incurred significant workup and testing costs. The standard deviation of $16,606 exceeds the mean, indicating a highly right-skewed distribution driven by HOPD-billed cases and high-comorbidity patients.
What is the median cost of allergy shots for a commercial insurance patient?
For a commercially insured patient at a freestanding allergist with a met deductible and a flat specialist copay, the median per-maintenance-visit patient OOP is $15–$40. The KFF 2024 Employer Health Benefits Survey reports an average specialist copay of $42; the AAOA Stachler 2020 memo cites $20 as a common copay benchmark. Over a standard 14-visit maintenance year, that generates $210–$588 in stacked copays. A Year 1 build-up of 26 weekly visits adds $390–$1,092 in build-up copays at that same range. The 75th-percentile OOP is considerably higher — Tkacz 2021 documents that approximately 20% of index AIT paid amounts exceeded $1,000, typically driven by HDHP pre-deductible exposure or HOPD billing.
Does Medicare pay less than commercial insurance for allergy shots?
Medicare's 2025 allowed amount for CPT 95117 is $11.97 — lower than the commercial carrier averages of $15.10–$18.05 per PayerPrice April 2026 transparency data. However, the patient-owed comparison flips: Medicare patients pay 20% coinsurance (~$2.40–$3.20 per 95117 visit after the deductible), whereas commercial patients pay copays of $15–$40. A maintenance year at Medicare rates generates approximately $31.76 per visit in patient coinsurance for a combined injection-plus-vial day (Case 8, PFS-anchored), versus $15–$40 in commercial copays. Medicare + Medigap patients pay $0 per visit — the most favorable patient-OOP position in the market, despite the lowest allowed amounts.
How does the cost of allergy shots compare to the cost of allergy medications long-term?
Cox, Murphey, and Hankin (Immunol Allergy Clin North Am 2020;40[1]:69-85) place the SCIT cost-effectiveness break-even versus standard pharmacotherapy at roughly 6 years after initiation, meaning the direct medical costs of a typical 3-year SCIT course do not break even purely on drug-spend comparison — the savings come from comorbidity reduction and quality-adjusted life-year gains. Hankin 2013 (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2013;131[4]:1084-91) found 18-month total healthcare cost 38% lower in adult SCIT patients ($6,637 vs $10,644 in controls), but that advantage includes reduced urgent-care and asthma spending, not just a comparison of SCIT costs versus antihistamine costs. Brand-name nasal corticosteroids plus antihistamines run $400–$1,200/year retail at persistent year-round dosing.
How much does the first year of allergy shots cost on average?
Year 1 is the most expensive year because the build-up phase concentrates approximately 26 weekly visits into the first 6 months before transitioning to maintenance. Per Cox 2011 Practice Parameter Third Update (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011;127[1 Suppl]:S1-S55), Year 1 totals approximately 39 visits (26 build-up plus 13 early maintenance). At a $42 average specialist copay (KFF 2024), 39 visits generate $1,638 in stacked copays before vial charges. Add two vial-preparation events at $50–$100 insured share each and Year 1 commercial OOP averages $1,700–$2,000. At Medicare-allowed amounts, Year 1 total (95117 × 39 plus 95165 × ~60 doses) is approximately $1,302 allowed before deductible adjustment.
What percentage of allergy shot patients drop out before completing treatment?
Tkacz et al. 2021 (Curr Med Res Opin 2021;37[6]:957-965, IBM MarketScan n=103,207) found that 23.9% of patients who had an index allergen immunotherapy consultation never returned for their first injection. This drop-off is clinically and financially significant: those patients incurred testing and consultation costs with no immunotherapy benefit. Among patients who do start injections, completion to the recommended 3–5 year maintenance course is variable; the build-up phase, with its weekly visit requirement and stacking copay burden, is where most non-completion occurs. At $42 per copay and 26 weekly build-up visits, a patient who quits after 3 months has spent $504 in copays and accrued an initial vial cost with no lasting disease modification.
Are allergy shot costs different for children versus adults?
Hankin et al. 2010 (Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2010;104[1]:79-85) analyzed Florida Medicaid pediatric SCIT patients and found 18-month total healthcare cost of $3,247 in SCIT patients versus $4,872 in matched controls — a 33% reduction that appeared within 3 months of initiation. Hankin et al. 2013 extended the finding to adults (18-month total $6,637 SCIT vs $10,644 control). The adult absolute costs are higher because adult comorbidity burden and pharmacy costs are higher, not because the SCIT line items differ — CPT 95117 reimburses identically regardless of patient age. Dosing protocols for children may use smaller vial volumes, which can reduce 95165 billing units.
Board-certified allergist and Chief Medical Officer with 15+ years treating allergic rhinitis and immunotherapy patients. Familiar with cost distribution data and its clinical implications for patient retention in SCIT programs.
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Read moreSkip the surprise bills. Confirm your program quote.
Curex lists an SCIT Self Pay Plan rate, but it is not an all-in care estimate. Confirm additional charges, quote inclusions and your insurance responsibility for testing and consultations before enrolling. See current Curex plan rates and terms.
Total care quote required · Remaining payments for shipped treatment are collected on cancellation
Questions about Curex itself?
Straight answers about the company, the evidence, what patients report, and what it costs — including the parts that are not flattering.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or insurance advice. Cost figures are estimates based on public CMS/MGMA data and commercial payer ranges; actual prices vary by plan, region, and provider. Always verify coverage with your insurer and consult a qualified healthcare provider. Content reviewed by board-certified allergists at Curex.