Joint aspiration or injection (small joint) cost in California

Prices at 157 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $799 — 109% above the US median ($383), roughly 14.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA $165 $395 ★ 5/5 180 min 13.8%
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas Encinitas, CA $165 $395 ★ 4/5 194 min 14.5%
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $188 $293 ★ 2/5 254 min 15.4%
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $192 $395 ★ 4/5 193 min 15.3%
Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA $192 $395 ★ 5/5 13.9%
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $192 ★ 2/5 187 min 13.5%
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $195 $395 ★ 4/5 259 min 14.8%
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville, CA $291 $356 ★ 3/5 116 min 14.5%
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $296 $504 110 min 15.0%
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $313 $731 ★ 1/5 167 min 16.5%
Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg, CA $350 $731 94 min 15.1%
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Sun Valley, CA $362 $275 216 min 15.3%
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 202 min 16.0%
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 250 min 14.9%
Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 135 min 15.6%
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $392 $393 ★ 2/5 138 min 16.6%
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $392 $393 ★ 2/5 196 min 16.6%
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $392 $393 ★ 1/5 173 min 14.8%
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 214 min 16.5%
Chino Valley Medical Center Chino, CA $392 $393 ★ 4/5 173 min 16.1%
San Dimas Community Hospital San Dimas, CA $392 $393 ★ 2/5 155 min 15.5%
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 173 min 15.8%
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $392 $393 ★ 2/5 153 min 15.8%
Montclair Hospital Medical Center Montclair, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 151 min 15.3%
Shasta Regional Medical Center Redding, CA $392 $393 ★ 2/5 148 min 15.9%

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 June 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$1,400
Cash / self-pay
$799
Insurer-negotiated
$395
Medicare pays
$56
$303$1,801
Median cash $799  ·  Medicare $56  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $799 — about 14.2× the Medicare rate ($56). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($112).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,400 list price could save about $601 (43%).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

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Joint aspiration or injection (small joint) cost in other states

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