Joint aspiration (small/intermediate) cost in California

Prices at 167 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $689 — 76% above the US median ($392), roughly 12.2× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $114 — — 121 min —
Mark Twain Medical Center San Andreas, CA $178 $178 ★ 3/5 123 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $192 — ★ 2/5 194 min —
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $193 $302 ★ 2/5 254 min —
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $195 $395 ★ 4/5 259 min —
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Sun Valley, CA $231 $141 — 227 min —
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $237 $388 ★ 3/5 170 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $237 $388 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA $237 $388 ★ 3/5 197 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $296 $504 — 114 min —
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville, CA $297 $356 ★ 3/5 116 min —
Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CA $297 $651 ★ 5/5 110 min —
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA $303 $100 ★ 5/5 199 min —
Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA $303 $100 ★ 5/5 276 min —
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA $303 $395 ★ 5/5 186 min —
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas Encinitas, CA $303 $395 ★ 4/5 200 min —
Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento, CA $313 $396 ★ 3/5 185 min —
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $313 $731 ★ 1/5 160 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $314 $375 ★ 3/5 240 min —
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $317 $395 ★ 4/5 194 min —
Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA $317 $395 ★ 5/5 — —
Mercy Medical Center of Mt Shasta Mount Shasta, CA $390 $364 ★ 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 —

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)
$1,285
Cash / self-pay
$689
Insurer-negotiated
$395
Medicare pays
$57
$297$1,778
Median cash $689  ·  Medicare $57  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $689 — about 12.2× 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 $1,285 list price could save about $597 (46%).

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 (small/intermediate) cost in other states

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