How much does HIFU for fibroids cost?
There is no single figure that holds for everyone, because the cost follows the fibroids. You receive a written estimate in English after your scan and consultation. Prices follow the clinic's published fee list, and the estimate confirms the items for your case.
Ranges published on other websites are only useful if they say what they include: the HIFU session alone, or also the scan, sedation, observation, medication and follow-up scans. Compare lists of items, not totals.
What changes HIFU fibroid treatment cost
Fibroid size and number come first. Larger fibroids, and more of them, mean more treatment time. The treatment session usually takes one to two hours.
Other items can move a quote: imaging done beforehand, the type of sedation or anesthesia, the time spent under observation, medication, and whether follow-up scans are in the same estimate. After HIFU you go home the same day, following about 4 hours of observation at the clinic. Overnight stays are available in the clinic's recovery suites. Ask whether a night is in the estimate or charged separately.
Follow-up scans are scheduled one week, three months, six months and one year after treatment. Ask whether all four are inside the estimate or billed visit by visit. Follow-up scans done abroad can be sent to the clinic for review. Ask what a scan near home would cost you.
What a written estimate should list
A written estimate for a procedure like this usually names the consultation and examination, imaging and tests before treatment, the HIFU session, sedation or anesthesia with monitoring, the observation period, medication, follow-up scans and English records. Your written estimate lists what is included, item by item, so you can check it against what your insurer asks for.
Medical records and receipts are issued in English on request. Read each line, and ask which items sit inside the quoted figure and which are billed on their own.
Repeat treatment: ask how it would be priced
HIFU does not always treat a fibroid completely, and new fibroids can form. In a pooled analysis of 18 studies and 5,216 women, reintervention after HIFU was about 1 percent at one year, 7 percent at two years, 19 percent at three years and 29 percent at five years (Dou et al., 2024). NICE advises that patients be told their symptoms may not be relieved, may return, and that further procedures may be needed (NICE). Results and recovery vary from person to person.
So ask how a second session would be priced, and whether the same estimate rules apply.
US cost context for other fibroid treatments
None of the figures below is a Podo fee, and none comes from a Korean price list. They are published US estimates, and they only show the scale of what other fibroid treatments cost.
A 2014 decision model for women who wished to keep their uterus put the direct cost over five years at about $15,500 for myomectomy, $15,300 for MR-guided focused ultrasound and $18,700 for uterine artery embolization, with repeat treatment counted in the model (Cain-Nielsen et al.).
A study of commercial insurance claims from 1999 to 2004 found that medical costs in the year of surgery averaged $14,726 for myomectomy, $15,180 for hysterectomy and $16,430 for embolization before adjustment (Carls et al., 2008). Those are older figures, and they show what insurers paid, not what a patient pays out of pocket.
The MR-guided system in these models is a different machine from the one used at Podo. Podo Women's Clinic treats uterine fibroids with ultrasound-guided HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) using the HIFUNIT9000 system. Costs for MR-guided treatment do not predict what ultrasound-guided treatment costs.
Does insurance cover HIFU for fibroids?
Whether a procedure is reimbursed depends on your policy; we provide documentation, not coverage decisions. We prepare the documents international insurers typically require: an itemized English receipt, a medical certificate, procedure codes and a completed claim form.
Policies differ widely. Many public health plans pay little or nothing for planned treatment abroad. US Medicare, for example, usually does not cover health care received outside the United States. Travel insurance often excludes treatment you travel to receive, so read its exclusions. Some private international plans do reimburse care abroad, usually after pre-authorization.
Before you book, ask your insurer whether focused ultrasound ablation of fibroids is a covered procedure, whether it needs pre-authorization, and whether it accepts a claim from a clinic in Korea. Ask which documents it requires and in what language.
Plan for the cost of problems after you get home, too. The CDC notes that follow-up care for complications can be expensive and might not be covered by your health insurance.
Paying from abroad
Payment can be made by international credit card. Payment by international bank transfer is also accepted.
If you pay by card, your card issuer converts won to your currency at its own rate and may add a foreign transaction fee. Tell your bank before you travel and check your card limit, because a procedure bill can be higher than a daily limit.
Questions to ask before you book
Is the figure a firm price or an estimate, and what could change it? Does it include the scan and the follow-up scans? What is billed separately? When is payment due, and in which currency? What happens to the fees if the scan shows that HIFU does not suit me? What would a repeat session cost? Which documents will I receive for my insurer? This page is general information and is not a diagnosis; a consultation is needed to decide whether a procedure suits you.
Questions
How much does HIFU for fibroids cost?
Podo does not publish a price for HIFU on this website, because the cost depends on the size and number of the fibroids. You receive a written estimate in English after your scan and consultation. For scale, published US estimates for other fibroid treatments run from about $14,700 to $18,700 in the studies above. Those are not Podo fees.
Why does HIFU fibroid treatment cost differ from one patient to the next?
Treatment time depends on the size and number of the fibroids, and the items around the session, such as sedation, observation and follow-up scans, vary too. That is why the fibroids are measured first.
Is HIFU cheaper in Korea than in the US?
That depends on your fibroids, your insurance and the clinic, and we do not compare against prices in other countries. Compare totals: the estimate, flights, hotel nights for the days you stay after treatment, travel insurance, follow-up scans, and what a repeat treatment would cost.
Will my insurer reimburse HIFU?
Whether a procedure is reimbursed depends on your policy; we provide documentation, not coverage decisions. Ask your insurer before you travel whether it covers HIFU for fibroids.
How can I pay?
Payment can be made by international credit card. International bank transfer is also accepted.
Sources
- NICE HealthTech guidance HTG277 (formerly IPG413): MR-guided focused ultrasound for uterine fibroids, recommendations
- Dou et al., 2024: reintervention after HIFU for fibroids, meta-analysis (PubMed)
- Cain-Nielsen et al., 2014: cost-effectiveness of uterus-preserving fibroid treatments in the USA (PubMed)
- Carls et al., 2008: total costs of surgical treatment for uterine fibroids, commercial claims (PubMed)
- Medicare.gov: Travel outside the U.S.
- CDC Travelers' Health: Medical Tourism
About the reviewer
Dr. Mo Hyung-jin, MD, PhD, board-certified OB-GYN specialist, is the medical director of Podo Women's Clinic. He developed the pelvic ligament suspension technique used at the clinic for stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Profile