Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $853 — 152% above the US median ($338), roughly 6.6× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego | San Diego, CA | $468 | $241 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $714 | $464 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr | San Diego, CA | $853 | $309 | ★ 5/5 | 259 min | — |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital | San Diego, CA | $1,122 | $946 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | — |
| Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital | San Diego, CA | $1,122 | $928 | — | — | — |
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 $853 — about 6.6× the Medicare rate ($129). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($257).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,496 list price could save about $643 (43%).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth Wells, D.P.M. | Podiatry | San Diego, CA | 501 |
| Barbara Martin, M.D. | Dermatology | San Diego, CA | 33 |
| Robert Ginsberg, M.D. | Dermatology | San Diego, CA | 21 |
| Michael Nelms, PA-C | Physician Assistant | San Diego, CA | 15 |
All Abscess drainage (simple) prices in California → · All Abscess drainage (simple) prices (national) · All hospitals in San Diego