Skin biopsy (punch) cost in California

Prices at 143 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $723 — 93% above the US median ($374), roughly 6.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $109 $173 ★ 3/5 190 min 15.0%
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center Martinez, CA $120 ★ 4/5 175 min 14.2%
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $125 $131 ★ 1/5 293 min 15.3%
Jerold Phelps Community Hospital Garberville, CA $137 148 min
St Elizabeth Community Hospital Red Bluff, CA $224 $314 ★ 4/5 136 min 15.1%
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $227 $523 ★ 4/5 259 min 14.8%
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Grass Valley, CA $250 $458 ★ 3/5 152 min 14.3%
Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg, CA $258 $3,168 94 min 15.1%
Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz, CA $265 $549 ★ 4/5 194 min 14.2%
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA $292 $217 ★ 5/5 211 min 14.0%
Stanford Health Care Stanford, CA $292 $217 ★ 5/5 275 min 14.7%
Mercy Medical Center of Mt Shasta Mount Shasta, CA $300 $332 ★ 4/5 96 min 14.7%
St Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton Stockton, CA $349 $426 ★ 3/5 227 min 13.9%
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $369 $508 ★ 2/5 254 min 15.4%
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $384 ★ 2/5 187 min 13.5%
Loma Linda University Medical Center Loma Linda, CA $389 $576 ★ 4/5 464 min 14.9%
Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta Murrieta, CA $389 $576 ★ 2/5 226 min 16.4%
Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Loma Linda, CA $389 $576 ★ 3/5 222 min
Loma Linda VA Medical Center Loma Linda, CA $389 $576 ★ 3/5 14.7%
Bear Valley Community Hospital Big Bear Lake, CA $397 $353 143 min
John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus Concord, CA $423 $574 ★ 4/5 148 min 14.0%
John Muir Behavioral Health Center Concord, CA $423 $574
San Joaquin General Hospital French Camp, CA $424 $503 ★ 2/5 218 min 15.2%
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $520 $520 ★ 3/5 250 min 14.9%
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $520 $520 ★ 2/5 138 min 16.6%

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 June 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)
$1,134
Cash / self-pay
$723
Insurer-negotiated
$523
Medicare pays
$121
$293$1,121
Median cash $723  ·  Medicare $121  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $723 — about 6.0× the Medicare rate ($121). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($242).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,134 list price could save about $411 (36%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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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.

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