Prices at 52 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,726 — 14% below the US median ($3,169), roughly 2.7× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaweah Health Medical Center | Visalia, CA | $2,037 | $3,333 | ★ 3/5 | 254 min | — |
| Kern Medical Center | Bakersfield, CA | $2,573 | $1,089 | ★ 1/5 | 306 min | — |
| Huntington Hospital | Pasadena, CA | $2,671 | $3,167 | — | 268 min | — |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley | Pleasanton, CA | $2,726 | $1,520 | ★ 5/5 | 199 min | — |
| Stanford Health Care | Stanford, CA | $2,726 | $1,520 | ★ 5/5 | 276 min | — |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Los Angeles, CA | $4,878 | $13,493 | ★ 5/5 | 355 min | — |
| Cedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital | Marina Del Rey, CA | $18,448 | $4,874 | ★ 4/5 | 180 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 September 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 $2,726 — about 2.7× the Medicare rate ($1,023). On the higher side. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($2,047).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $4,780 list price could save about $2,054 (43%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
Brain shunt (VP shunt) cost in other states
All Brain shunt (VP shunt) prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →