Lumbar discectomy cost in California without insurance

In California, the median cash price for Lumbar discectomy is $9,286.00 across 48 hospitals, from $3,255.20 to $38,912.40. The lowest is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park (Baldwin Park) and 15 other hospitals. The US median is $9,692.39.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

A lumbar discectomy removes the part of a herniated disc that presses on a nerve, usually at L4-L5 or L5-S1, and is the most common back surgery. It is often a same-day or overnight procedure. A laminectomy for spinal stenosis costs about the same; a spinal fusion, with implants and a longer stay, costs much more. Many people improve with physical therapy, injections and time, so surgery is usually a later step.

Collected Oct 29, 2026 One price per hospital: its lowest outpatient cash price for the code