Prices at 3 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $25,052 — 287% above the US median ($6,479), roughly 24.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr | San Diego, CA | $46,428 | $20,517 | ★ 5/5 | 258 min | 14.3% |
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 $25,052 — about 24.9× the Medicare rate ($1,004). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($2,008).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $49,560 list price could save about $24,508 (49%).
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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