Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net margin per case
$640
Margin as % of facility fee
16.8%
Total case cost
$3,160
OR time cost component
$1,430
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How to use this
- 1Enter facility fee reimbursement ($).
- 2Enter implant/device cost ($).
- 3Enter disposable supply cost ($).
- 4Enter or time (skin to skin plus turnover) (min).
- 5Enter fully loaded or cost per minute ($).
- 6Enter post-op recovery/pacu cost ($).
- 7Read your net margin per case on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Ambulatory surgery centers compete on case cost control since facility fee reimbursement is largely fixed by payer contract, not negotiable case by case. This calculator sums implant/device cost, disposable supply cost, OR time cost (staff and overhead cost per minute times case length), and post-op recovery cost to get total case cost, then compares it against the facility fee reimbursement to show margin per case. OR time cost is the biggest lever most centers underweight — a $45/minute fully loaded OR cost means a case running 20 minutes over schedule costs $900 more, often erasing the entire case margin on lower-reimbursing procedures. This is why case-length variance and turnover time matter as much as supply cost negotiation for ASC profitability. Use this per-CPT-code to build a case cost library, since a single facility fee schedule from a payer will show wildly different margins across procedure types — high-implant-cost orthopedic and spine cases can run thin or negative margins even at higher reimbursement, while low-supply-cost GI and pain procedures often carry the best margins despite lower facility fees.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Facility fee reimbursement: 3800 $
- Implant/device cost: 1200 $
- Disposable supply cost: 350 $
- OR time (skin to skin plus turnover): 65 min
- Fully loaded OR cost per minute: 22 $
- Post-op recovery/PACU cost: 180 $
Results
- Net margin per case: $640
- Margin as % of facility fee: 16.8%
- Total case cost: $3,160
- OR time cost component: $1,430
What each field means
Inputs
- Facility fee reimbursement ($)
- The facility fee reimbursement used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 3800 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Implant/device cost ($)
- The implant/device cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Disposable supply cost ($)
- The disposable supply cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 350 $ so you have a working example on load.
- OR time (skin to skin plus turnover) (min)
- The or time (skin to skin plus turnover) used in the calculation, measured in min. Starts at 65 min so you have a working example on load.
- Fully loaded OR cost per minute ($)
- The fully loaded or cost per minute used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 22 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Post-op recovery/PACU cost ($)
- The post-op recovery/pacu cost used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 180 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Net margin per case
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Margin as % of facility fee
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total case cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- OR time cost component
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What's a typical fully loaded OR cost per minute?
Most ASCs run $15-35 per OR minute depending on region, staffing ratios, and equipment intensity, covering nursing, techs, anesthesia support staff (if not billed separately), equipment depreciation, and facility overhead allocated to OR time. Orthopedic and spine ORs with more staff and equipment run toward the higher end.
Why do high-reimbursement cases sometimes have the worst margins?
Total joint and spine cases often reimburse $3,000-6,000+ but carry implant costs of $1,500-4,000, leaving thin margins after OR time and supplies. A $600 GI procedure with $40 in supply cost frequently nets a higher margin percentage than a $4,000 orthopedic case.
How much does reducing turnover time actually matter?
Cutting average turnover time from 25 to 15 minutes across a center doing 15 cases a day recovers 150 minutes daily — enough for 2+ additional cases at $35/minute OR cost, meaning turnover efficiency directly funds additional case capacity without adding OR rooms.
Should anesthesia cost be included in case cost?
Only if the ASC employs or subsidizes anesthesia providers directly. Most ASCs use independent anesthesia groups who bill separately, in which case anesthesia cost doesn't hit the facility's P&L and shouldn't be included in this calculation.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Surgery Center Case Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/surgery-center-case-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/surgery-center-case-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Surgery Center Case Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Surgery Center Case Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/surgery-center-case-cost) (2026).