Foreign body removal cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for removal of a foreign object under the skin, simple as an inpatient: from $547.25 to $1,071.20, with a median of $1,071.20. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $523.95 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $1,071.20 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 10120, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Foreign Body From Tissue | $547.25 | $995.00 | $59.38–$5,480.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 10120-Subcutaneous Tissue Simple | $616.66 | $1,027.76 | $719.43–$800.63 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY INCIS/REM OF FB, SUB TISS | $618.52 | $1,030.86 | $721.60–$803.04 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 INCISION & REMOVAL FOREIGN BODY SUBQ TISS SIMPLE | $1,071.20 | $2,060.00 | $396.00–$1,179.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA INCISION & REMOVAL FOREIGN BODY SUBQ TISS SIMPLE | $1,071.20 | $2,060.00 | $396.00–$1,179.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 INCISION & REMOVAL FOREIGN BODY SUBQ TISS SIMPLE | $1,071.20 | $2,060.00 | $396.00–$1,179.00 | 48% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $547.25, median $1,071.20, highest $1,071.20 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $843.93 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This code covers a simple removal of a foreign object such as glass, a splinter or metal from under the skin.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure and numbing.