Cost Per Patient Acquisition by Medical Specialty (2026 Benchmarks)

General dental practices see CPAs of $150-250 for new patients. Emergency dental and cosmetic procedures skew higher at $200-400.

Orthopedic surgeons pay $350-600 per new patient acquisition, with joint replacement leads averaging $500+.

IVF and fertility clinics have among the highest CPAs at $800-1,500 per qualified lead, reflecting the high patient lifetime value ($15,000-30,000+ per cycle).

Cosmetic surgery CPAs range from $500 for non-surgical treatments to $1,200+ for surgical procedures like rhinoplasty and breast augmentation.

Dermatology practices see CPAs of $200-400, with medical dermatology on the lower end and cosmetic dermatology closer to $350-500.

Cardiology CPAs range from $300-700, with interventional cardiology leads commanding $500-800+ due to procedure complexity.

LASIK and ophthalmology practices see CPAs of $250-500, with refractive surgery leads at the higher end of the range.

Primary care practices have relatively lower CPAs of $150-350, benefiting from high-volume, lower-competition keywords.

Oncology patient acquisition costs $400-800 per lead. Most oncology patients come through referrals (65%) vs. direct search (35%).

Pediatric practices see CPAs of $200-450, with parents being the primary decision-makers and typically searching during urgent care needs.

Neurology CPAs range from $300-600, with headache/migraine patients on the lower end and neurosurgery leads reaching $700+.

ENT practices pay $250-500 per new patient, with sinus surgery and sleep apnea patients at the higher end.

Urgent care centers have CPAs of $180-400, benefiting from high-intent, location-based searches with strong conversion rates.

Mental health practice CPAs are $200-450, with therapy patients lower ($150-300) and psychiatry higher ($300-500).

Bariatric surgery CPAs range from $350-700, with a long nurture cycle averaging 3-6 months from first inquiry to consultation.

GI practices see CPAs of $250-500, with endoscopy and colonoscopy screening patients being the most cost-effective to acquire.

Physical therapy CPAs are among the lowest at $150-350, driven by high-volume keywords and strong local search presence.

Hair transplant CPAs run $600-1,200, reflecting intense competition and high patient lifetime values ($5,000-15,000 per procedure).

Urology CPAs range from $400-800, with men's health and ED-related leads on the lower end and complex surgical patients higher.

Spine surgery patient acquisition costs $500-1,000, reflecting high competition and significant patient research cycles.

MedSpa CPAs range $300-600, with Botox/filler patients at the low end ($150-300) and body contouring at $400-700.

Chiropractic CPAs are $200-400, with new patient specials and local SEO being the most effective acquisition channels.