Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) cost in Bakersfield, CA

Prices at 3 hospitals in Bakersfield, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $237 — 40% below the US median ($392), roughly 4.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $95 $64 ★ 1/5 306 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $237 $388 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $314 $375 ★ 3/5 240 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)
$845
Cash / self-pay
$237
Insurer-negotiated
$375
Medicare pays
$57
$123$298
Median cash $237  ·  Medicare $57  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $237 — about 4.2× the Medicare rate ($57). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($113).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $845 list price could save about $608 (72%).

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

All Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) prices in California → · All Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) prices (national) · All hospitals in Bakersfield