Prices at 5 hospitals in San Francisco, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $19,471 — 169% above the US median ($7,242), roughly 21.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $19,471 | $9,070 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
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)
Typical cash price here is $19,471 — about 21.7× the Medicare rate ($898). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($1,796).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $34,770 list price could save about $15,299 (44%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All Lumbar discectomy prices in California → · All Lumbar discectomy prices (national) · All hospitals in San Francisco