Varicose Vein Treatment Cost Calculator 2026

For one leg, US self-pay planning figures run $350–$450 per sclerotherapy session (usually 2–4 sessions), $1,900–$2,200 for endovenous laser ablation, $2,200–$2,700 for radiofrequency ablation, $1,500–$2,500 for VenaSeal vein glue, $700–$1,050 for microphlebectomy, and $1,500–$3,000 for surgical stripping. Add $200–$450 for the consult plus duplex ultrasound. Full treatment plans involving both legs or multiple modalities commonly reach $4,000–$8,000 or more.

Yes — when it is medically necessary. Insurance, including Medicare, typically covers sclerotherapy, RFA, laser ablation, and stripping for symptomatic venous disease: documented pain, swelling, heaviness, skin changes, bleeding, or ulcers, confirmed by duplex ultrasound showing reflux. Purely cosmetic treatment (spider veins with no symptoms) is almost always self-pay. Most plans also require a documented trial of conservative care, such as compression stockings, before approving a procedure.

Insurers look for documented symptoms that affect health or function — leg pain or aching, heaviness, swelling, throbbing, itching around veins, skin discoloration or thickening, bleeding varicose veins, or venous ulcers — plus objective evidence from a duplex ultrasound showing venous reflux. Vague, undocumented complaints usually don't qualify. Having your symptoms recorded in your medical record over time, with a failed conservative-therapy trial, is what turns a claim from cosmetic into medically necessary.

Most courses need 2–4 sessions: 1–3 for spider veins and 2–4 for small or foam-treated varicose veins. The calculator auto-estimates 2 sessions for spider veins and 3 for small or large veins, or you can set the number manually. Because 20–40% of sclerotherapy-treated veins recanalize within five years, budget for about 2 extra sessions of retreatment in your 5-year true cost — the calculator adds roughly $800 for this.

Upfront, usually yes: a sclerotherapy course for small veins runs roughly $1,550 including consult and stockings, versus $2,450 for one-leg RFA. Over five years the gap narrows — sclerotherapy's 5-year true cost rises to about $2,350 once expected retreatment is included, while RFA's durable closure (90–98% at 5 years) means little retreatment. For large refluxing trunk veins, ablation is the guideline-backed first line regardless of price.

Clinics typically package bilateral treatment at about 1.6× the one-leg price rather than 2×. For example, bilateral RFA in the Northeast is estimated at $4,800 (range $4,200–$5,400) including consult and stockings, versus about $3,150 for a single leg at the same settings. Always ask for bilateral packaging in writing — it is one of the largest single discounts available.

A venous duplex ultrasound assessment typically costs $200–$450 when bundled with the initial consultation. Yes, you need one: it maps reflux in the deep and superficial systems and determines which modality is appropriate. For insured patients it is non-negotiable — it is the objective evidence insurers require for medical-necessity approval. Treating surface veins without mapping underlying reflux is the most common reason people end up paying for treatment twice.

Coverage for VenaSeal (cyanoacrylate vein glue) is variable. Many plans cover RFA and laser ablation for symptomatic disease but deny VenaSeal as a newer technology, even when symptoms are documented. If you are insured and considering VenaSeal, get prior authorization in writing before scheduling — otherwise you may owe the full $1,500–$2,500-per-leg self-pay price plus adders. The calculator flags this in the insurance verdict.

Radiofrequency ablation achieves 90–98% vein closure at five years and VenaSeal about 94–95% — both are durable, near-permanent fixes for the treated vein. Sclerotherapy is less durable: 60–80% permanent closure, with 20–40% of veins reopening within five years and needing touch-up sessions. New varicose veins can still develop elsewhere over time regardless of modality, since the underlying venous disease tendency remains.

For cosmetic spider or small veins, sclerotherapy is the cheapest legitimate option at $350–$450 per session. If your veins are symptomatic, the cheapest route is often through insurance: meet medical-necessity criteria and your out-of-pocket may be only your deductible plus coinsurance — the calculator's insured example comes to $2,160.00 versus $4,800 self-pay. Conservative measures (compression, exercise, leg elevation) cost almost nothing and are worth trying first, and are required by many plans anyway.

Medicare covers sclerotherapy — as well as RFA, laser ablation, and ligation/stripping — when the procedure is deemed medically necessary: documented symptoms such as pain, swelling, or skin ulcers, supported by ultrasound evidence of reflux. Cosmetic sclerotherapy for spider veins is not covered. You remain responsible for applicable deductibles and coinsurance under Original Medicare or your Medicare Advantage plan.

No. This calculator produces indicative planning estimates from published 2026 US self-pay price ranges — midpoints of market ranges, region multipliers, and standard bilateral packaging assumptions. Real quotes vary with your vein anatomy, the specific veins treated, provider, facility, and region, and can differ by thousands of dollars between clinics. Use the estimate to budget and to sanity-check quotes, then get at least two written quotes and, if insured, a prior authorization before committing.