Prices at 3 hospitals in Bakersfield, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $773 — 16% below the US median ($915), roughly 7.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kern Medical Center | Bakersfield, CA | $217 | $182 | ★ 1/5 | 306 min | — |
| Mercy Hospital | Bakersfield, CA | $773 | $1,890 | ★ 3/5 | 193 min | — |
| Bakersfield Memorial Hospital | Bakersfield, CA | $1,267 | $1,278 | ★ 3/5 | 240 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $773 — about 7.8× the Medicare rate ($99). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($198).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,414 list price could save about $2,641 (77%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Bakersfield
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinod Mungalpara, MD | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 224 |
| Vinod Mungalpara, MD | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 222 |
| David Wahba, M.D. | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 154 |
| Ashok Parmar, M.D. | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 129 |
| Ashok Parmar, M.D. | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 129 |
| David Wahba, M.D. | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 98 |
| Raghunath Kuchakulla, M.D. | Anesthesiology | Bakersfield, CA | 83 |
| Raghunath Kuchakulla, M.D. | Anesthesiology | Bakersfield, CA | 83 |
| Arturo Palencia, MD | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 61 |
| Philip Khoury, D.O. | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 61 |
| Philip Khoury, D.O. | Pain Management | Bakersfield, CA | 61 |
| Ajitpal Tiwana, M.D. | Family Practice | Bakersfield, CA | 54 |
All Facet joint injection (spine) prices in California → · All Facet joint injection (spine) prices (national) · All hospitals in Bakersfield