How Much Do Dog Allergy Shots Cost? Every Payer Scenario
Dog allergy shots for HUMANS allergic to dogs (not CYTOPOINT or Apoquel given to the dog) cost $0–$5,400+ per visit depending entirely on your insurance plan — Medicare-allowed CPT 95117 is $11.97; commercial allowed is $15–$18; cash retail is $40–$200 (CMS PFS CY 2025, FR Doc 2024-25382). Year 1 runs $450–$4,500 insured or $1,850–$4,500 cash. Curex's at-home allergy shots provide an at-home alternative to the 39-visit build-up year with 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 — the dominant code on every dog SCIT shot day; 2025 Medicare allowed $11.97; commercial BCBS $16.69, Aetna $15.98, UHC $15.10, Cigna $18.05 (PayerPrice April 2026) Most common code for multi-component dog SCIT. Cash retail at independent practices $40–$200 billed; HOPD billed rates can exceed $1,000 for the injection alone. | Cash pay $40–$200 | Insured $0–$40 |
| 95165 | Multi-dose vial preparation, per 1-cc dose; CMS Article A57472: dose = 1 cc, max 10 doses per 10-cc vial, 30-unit MUE per day, 12-month supply cap; 95% of dog SCIT vial billing uses this code 2025 Medicare allowed $13.91/dose; 10-dose vial = $139.10 Medicare allowed; commercial allowed ~$260–$420. Dog SCIT may require dual-vial when patient is co-sensitized to pollen or dust mite — doubling the 95165 line items and cost. | Cash pay $200–$450 | Insured $5–$25 |
| 95115 | Single allergen injection — used when only one vial is administered; common for Can f 1 monoallergen SCIT in Can f 5-monosensitized patients who choose to proceed with immunotherapy 2025 Medicare allowed $10.35. Less common than 95117 for multi-component dog SCIT but appears when monoallergen vial is prescribed. | Cash pay $18–$35 | Insured $3–$15 |
| 95004 | Percutaneous (skin prick) test, per allergen; a standard dog-plus-environmental 40-allergen panel generates 40 separately billable units 2025 Medicare allowed $3.56/allergen. The HOPD multiplication risk is highest here: at M Health Fairview (HOPD), a 40-allergen panel was billed $24,400 in 2024. Freestanding clinics quoted $800–$1,827 for the same panel (PBS NewsHour Weekend, 2024). | Cash pay $20–$40 | Insured $3–$10 |
| 95144 | Single-dose vial preparation, non-venom; rarely used for dog SCIT; most allergists prefer multi-dose 95165 for operational efficiency 2025 Medicare allowed $15.85. Dog SCIT extracts remain PNU-based (not FDA-standardized) regardless of CPT code used, unlike cat-hair and cat-pelt extracts which are FDA-standardized at 10,000 BAU/mL. | 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.
New York NY | $140 | $2,300 | 141 |
|---|---|---|---|
Alaska AK | $128 | $2,200 | 130 |
District of Columbia DC | $128 | $2,100 | 138 |
Hawaii HI | $120 | $1,950 | 125 |
Massachusetts MA | $118 | $1,950 | 131 |
California CA | $115 | $1,900 | 141 |
Connecticut CT | $113 | $1,850 | 120 |
New Jersey NJ | $110 | $1,800 | 117 |
Maryland MD | $103 | $1,700 | 118 |
Washington WA | $100 | $1,650 | 112 |
Colorado CO | $98 | $1,600 | 109 |
Florida FL | $98 | $1,600 | 104 |
Minnesota MN | $98 | $1,600 | 108 |
Oregon OR | $98 | $1,600 | 110 |
Rhode Island RI | $98 | $1,600 | 112 |
Virginia VA | $98 | $1,600 | 108 |
Illinois IL | $95 | $1,550 | 108 |
Pennsylvania PA | $93 | $1,525 | 105 |
Delaware DE | $93 | $1,500 | 106 |
Arizona AZ | $83 | $1,450 | 103 |
Georgia GA | $90 | $1,450 | 97 |
New Hampshire NH | $88 | $1,450 | 106 |
Texas TX | $88 | $1,450 | 99 |
North Carolina NC | $88 | $1,425 | 98 |
Maine ME | $83 | $1,400 | 101 |
Nevada NV | $85 | $1,375 | 100 |
South Carolina SC | $84 | $1,375 | 96 |
Tennessee TN | $84 | $1,375 | 95 |
Louisiana LA | $84 | $1,350 | 95 |
Ohio OH | $83 | $1,350 | 96 |
Vermont VT | $83 | $1,350 | 100 |
Wisconsin WI | $83 | $1,350 | 96 |
Utah UT | $81 | $1,325 | 97 |
Alabama AL | $76 | $1,300 | 88 |
Idaho ID | $78 | $1,300 | 95 |
Kentucky KY | $80 | $1,300 | 92 |
Michigan MI | $80 | $1,300 | 95 |
Missouri MO | $79 | $1,300 | 92 |
Nebraska NE | $80 | $1,300 | 93 |
North Dakota ND | $79 | $1,300 | 93 |
South Dakota SD | $80 | $1,300 | 93 |
New Mexico NM | $78 | $1,275 | 96 |
Arkansas AR | $73 | $1,250 | 90 |
Indiana IN | $79 | $1,250 | 93 |
Montana MT | $74 | $1,225 | 96 |
Wyoming WY | $74 | $1,225 | 96 |
Iowa IA | $73 | $1,200 | 91 |
Kansas KS | $73 | $1,200 | 89 |
Oklahoma OK | $73 | $1,200 | 89 |
Mississippi MS | $69 | $1,150 | 84 |
West Virginia WV | $68 | $1,125 | 86 |
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
40-allergen skin-test panel at a hospital-owned allergy clinic in Minneapolis, 2024. Kaitlin Johnson owed $5,400+ before M Health Fairview waived the balance following PBS NewsHour Weekend coverage. Surrounding freestanding clinics quoted the same panel at $800–$1,827. Dog-allergic patients typically receive testing across pet dander, pollen, dust mite, and mold panels — this HOPD multiplication risk applies to every line of that panel.
- Billed by provider
- $24,400
- Paid by insurance
- $19,000
- Patient owed
- $5,400
EOB image redacted
Maintenance visit for a Texas BCBS HDHP patient after deductible was met: build-up visit plus two 10-dose vials prepared on the same day (CPT 95117 × 1 plus CPT 95165 × 20). Billed $710, allowed $307.45, insurance paid $246. Patient owed $61.45 (20% coinsurance). Shows what dual-vial dog SCIT with co-sensitization to seasonal allergens looks like on an EOB. Representative case anchored to Medicare PFS 95165 $14.65 × 20 doses plus 95117 $12.32 with commercial uplift.
- Billed by provider
- $710
- Paid by insurance
- $246
- Patient owed
- $61
EOB image redacted
Maintenance visit for a Florida Original Medicare Part B beneficiary with annual deductible already met, 2024. CPT 95117 plus 10-dose vial (CPT 95165 × 10). Medicare's ground-floor cost for dog SCIT maintenance: billed $310, allowed $158.82, Medicare paid $127.06 (80%), patient owed $31.76 (20% coinsurance). A Medigap supplemental policy would eliminate the $31.76 entirely. Representative case anchored to CMS PFS national amounts per ACAAI 2025 Final RVU schedule.
- Billed by provider
- $310
- Paid by insurance
- $127
- Patient owed
- $32
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
- $4,065
- 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
Is this page about allergy shots for my dog or shots for me because I'm allergic to dogs?
This page is about subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) — allergy shots injected into a HUMAN patient who is sensitized to dog allergens like Can f 1 or Can f 5. It has nothing to do with CYTOPOINT (lokivetmab) or Apoquel (oclacitinib), which are veterinary biologics or oral medications injected into or given to the dog to treat the dog's own atopic dermatitis. Those veterinary products cost $40–$90 per month per dog and are billed to pet insurance or paid directly. Human SCIT for dog allergy is billed to the human patient's health insurance under CPT codes 95117, 95165, and 95004. If you are looking for information about treating your dog's skin allergies, this is not the right resource.
What does an HDHP enrollee pay for dog allergy shots in Year 1?
Year 1 is the most expensive year for HDHP enrollees because the deductible has not yet been met. An initial skin-test workup (CPT 95004 × 40 allergens plus an E/M code) alone may run $400–$1,200 in allowed amounts, all applied to the deductible. The first vial preparation (CPT 95165 × 10 doses at commercial allowed $30–$50/dose) can add $300–$600 before deductible is reached. Once the deductible is satisfied, the patient owes only 10–20% coinsurance per visit. Strategic timing matters: starting build-up in January lets you burn through the deductible in the first 2–3 visits, making the rest of the year cheaper. Total Year 1 HDHP estimate: $1,500–$3,000 depending on plan and allergen panel size. Year 2+ maintenance is typically $300–$700 annually post-deductible.
Can I use my HSA or FSA to pay for dog allergy shots?
Yes. Allergy shots (SCIT) administered to a human patient qualify as a medical expense under IRS Publication 502 and Section 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. HSA and FSA funds can be used to pay for copays, coinsurance, deductible amounts, and any out-of-pocket costs associated with SCIT. Veterinary expenses — including CYTOPOINT, Apoquel, or vet allergen-specific immunotherapy for your dog — do not qualify as IRC §213(d) medical expenses for your human HSA or FSA (the narrow exception is qualified service animal expenses). Mileage to and from your allergist's office may also be deductible at the IRS medical mileage rate of $0.21/mi in 2025 (IRS Notice 2025-5) if you itemize medical expenses on Schedule A.
What is the Can f 5 cost escape ramp for dog allergy shots?
Approximately 16.5% of dog-sensitized adults are monosensitized to Can f 5 — prostatic kallikrein produced exclusively in the prostate glands of intact male dogs, absent in females and neutered males (Ozuygur Ermis et al., Allergy 2023). In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled challenge, Schoos et al. (JACI Pract 2020) found that all 7 Can f 5-monosensitized children had no reaction to female dog extract. For these patients, the most cost-effective solution is adopting a female or neutered male dog — the SCIT cost is literally zero. Component-resolved IgE testing (distinguishing Can f 1 lipocalin from Can f 5 prostatic kallikrein from Can f 3 serum albumin) is the prerequisite diagnostic step before committing to any SCIT protocol.
What do dog allergy shots cost on Medicare Part B?
Medicare Part B covers SCIT after the annual Part B deductible ($257 in 2025; $283 in 2026 per CMS announcement November 14, 2025). After the deductible, Medicare pays 80% of the allowed amount and the patient owes 20% coinsurance. At 2025 allowed rates: CPT 95117 (injection) = $11.97 × 20% = $2.39/visit; CPT 95165 × 10 doses = $139.10 × 20% = $27.82. A combined maintenance visit (shot plus vial) costs the patient approximately $31.76 in coinsurance. Over a maintenance year of 14 visits with 1 vial prep, the patient owes roughly $400–$450 in coinsurance before Medigap. A Medigap supplemental policy (Plan G, Plan F) zeroes out the 20% coinsurance, making SCIT effectively free after the deductible. Original Medicare has no network restrictions for SCIT.
Why do some allergist offices charge dramatically more than others for the same dog allergy shots?
The primary driver of dramatic price differences between allergist offices is whether the practice is classified as a freestanding office or a hospital outpatient department (HOPD). Freestanding offices bill only the professional fee under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule — typically $40–$200 per visit billed. HOPD-classified practices add a separate facility fee under the hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System, which can multiply the total bill 4–40×. The Kaitlin Johnson case at M Health Fairview in Minneapolis (PBS NewsHour Weekend, 2024) illustrates this: a 40-allergen panel was billed $24,400 at the HOPD, while nearby freestanding clinics quoted $800–$1,827. Secondary drivers include geographic cost-of-living (GPCI) differentials and how aggressively a practice codes E/M visits alongside injection codes. Before your first appointment, ask whether the practice is 'provider-based' and request an expected cost estimate in writing.
Does California Medi-Cal cover dog allergy shots?
California Medi-Cal covers the injection codes (CPT 95115/95117) but explicitly excludes vial preparation as a non-benefit. Per the DHCS Medi-Cal Allergy Manual, Part 2 — Allergy Testing and Desensitization: 'CPT codes 95120 thru 95134 and 95145 thru 95165 for allergen immunotherapy services are non-benefits.' This means the antigen preparation (CPT 95165) is not reimbursed by Medi-Cal. Practices may absorb the preparation cost, require patients to supply antigen from an external source, or decline to offer SCIT to Medi-Cal patients. A Medi-Cal beneficiary who locates a practice willing to absorb the antigen-prep cost can receive injections at $0 patient cost-share for the administration code. This gap disproportionately affects dog-allergic patients who require multi-allergen vials.
What is the minimum projected 3-year out-of-pocket cost for dog allergy shots?
Stachler et al. (AAOA, December 2, 2020) calculated the minimum out-of-pocket projection for SCIT at $20 per injection copay, one injection per week for 3 years: $20 × 52 weeks × 3 years = $3,120. This doubles to $6,240 if two serums are billed per visit at $40/visit — common for dog-allergic patients co-sensitized to pollen or dust mite who require dual-vial SCIT. These figures exclude skin-test workup costs, hidden travel costs, and any deductible exposure. By plan type, the 3-year out-of-pocket floor is: Kaiser HMO $0, Medicare + Medigap $0, Tricare Prime MTF $0, original Medicare without Medigap ~$1,300, commercial PPO with $20 copay ~$3,120, HDHP with year-1 deductible reset potentially $4,500–$6,000.
Board-certified allergist and CMO at Curex with 15+ years treating pet-sensitized patients. Specializes in component-resolved diagnosis and both clinic SCIT and at-home allergy shot protocols.
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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.