Punch skin biopsy cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for skin biopsy, punch, one lesion: from $327.00 to $1,972.92, with a median of $722.80. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $395.80 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $722.80 at 79 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 11104, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Punch Bx Skin Single Lesion | $327.00 | $436.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Punch biopsy of single skin lesion | $419.10 | $762.00 | $89.65–$10,382.01 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA PUNCH BIOPSY SKIN SINGLE LESION | $722.80 | $1,390.00 | $396.00–$1,179.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 PUNCH BIOPSY SKIN SINGLE LESION | $722.80 | $1,390.00 | $396.00–$1,179.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 PUNCH BIOPSY SKIN SINGLE LESION | $722.80 | $1,390.00 | $396.00–$1,179.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Punch biopsy of single skin lesion | $841.50 | $1,530.00 | $12.00–$10,382.01 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 11104 Punch Biopsy of Skin, Single Lesion Charge | $1,972.92 | $3,288.20 | $113.18–$2,301.74 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $327.00, median $722.80, highest $1,972.92 — a 6.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $722.80. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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 none is it 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
A punch biopsy removes a small round core of skin with a tool like a tiny cookie cutter, for a lab to examine. It is used for rashes and suspicious spots.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure and numbing medicine. The visit may be billed separately.