Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $728 — 90% above the US median ($383), roughly 13.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $192 | $395 | ★ 4/5 | 193 min | 15.3% |
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr | San Diego, CA | $606 | $319 | ★ 5/5 | 258 min | 14.3% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego | San Diego, CA | $728 | $359 | ★ 4/5 | — | 13.7% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital | San Diego, CA | $1,100 | $817 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | 15.4% |
| Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital | San Diego, CA | $1,100 | $994 | — | — | — |
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)
Typical cash price here is $728 — about 13.0× 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 $672 (48%).
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 San Diego
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larry Ballinger, DPM | Podiatry | San Diego, CA | 73 |
| Matthew Shillito, M.D. | Hand Surgery | San Diego, CA | 41 |
| Ryan Diaz, D.P.M | Podiatry | San Diego, CA | 35 |
| Julie Gilbert, M.D. | Hand Surgery | San Diego, CA | 32 |
| Amy Trautman, PA-C | Physician Assistant | San Diego, CA | 30 |
| Arthur Mabaquiao, M.D. | Rheumatology | San Diego, CA | 30 |
| Gregory Alberton, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Diego, CA | 29 |
| Bryan Leek, MD | Sports Medicine | San Diego, CA | 28 |
| Gayle Kookootsedes, M.D. | Rheumatology | San Diego, CA | 28 |
| Travis Weber, D.P.M. | Podiatry | San Diego, CA | 27 |
| Hassan Azimi, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Diego, CA | 26 |
| Mark Jacobson, M.D. | Orthopedic Surgery | San Diego, CA | 25 |
All Joint aspiration or injection (small joint) prices in California → · All Joint aspiration or injection (small joint) prices (national) · All hospitals in San Diego