Joint aspiration or injection (mid-size joint) cost in California

Prices at 165 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $620 — 52% above the US median ($407), roughly 10.9× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $95 $64 ★ 1/5 306 min —
San Joaquin General Hospital French Camp, CA $112 $372 ★ 2/5 213 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $114 — — 121 min —
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas, CA $145 $97 ★ 3/5 123 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $192 — ★ 2/5 194 min —
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $195 $395 ★ 4/5 259 min —
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $197 $313 ★ 2/5 254 min —
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $237 $427 ★ 3/5 170 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $237 $427 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA $237 $427 ★ 3/5 197 min —
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA $242 $100 ★ 5/5 199 min —
Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA $242 $100 ★ 5/5 276 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $296 $504 — 114 min —
Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CA $297 $662 ★ 5/5 110 min —
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville, CA $302 $371 ★ 3/5 116 min —
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento, CA $313 $445 ★ 3/5 185 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $313 $731 ★ 1/5 160 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $314 $413 ★ 3/5 240 min —
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Sun Valley, CA $322 $186 — 227 min —
Mercy Medical Center of Mt Shasta Mount Shasta, CA $390 $366 ★ 4/5 89 min —
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 188 min —
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 194 min —
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 238 min —
Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA $392 $393 ★ 3/5 134 min —
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $392 $393 ★ 2/5 134 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. 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$1,282
Cash / self-pay
$620
Insurer-negotiated
$398
Medicare pays
$57
$297$1,711
Median cash $620  ·  Medicare $57  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $620 — about 10.9× the Medicare rate ($57). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($114).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,282 list price could save about $661 (52%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

By city

Joint aspiration or injection (mid-size joint) cost in other states

All Joint aspiration or injection (mid-size joint) prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →