Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $51,505 — 265% above the US median ($14,099), roughly 6.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital 🍼 | San Diego, CA | $13,828 | $13,623 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr 🍼 | San Diego, CA | $42,936 | $12,534 | ★ 5/5 | 259 min | — |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital 🍼 | San Diego, CA | $60,074 | $49,549 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | — |
| Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital | San Diego, CA | $60,074 | $58,215 | — | — | — |
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 $51,505 — about 6.8× the Medicare rate ($7,552). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($15,104).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $79,082 list price could save about $27,577 (35%).
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 San Diego