Prices at 4 hospitals in Long Beach, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $5,142 — 64% below the US median ($14,099), roughly 0.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $5,142 | $7,378 | ★ 3/5 | 322 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. 🍼 = CMS Birthing-Friendly hospital. 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 $5,142 — about 0.7× the Medicare rate ($7,552). Reasonable. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($15,104).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,856 list price could save about $1,714 (25%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All Cesarean section (C-section) prices in California → · All Cesarean section (C-section) prices (national) · All hospitals in Long Beach