Birth control implant insertion cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for insertion of a drug-delivery implant, such as the arm birth control implant as an inpatient: from $364.00 to $466.95, with a median of $364.00. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos and 2 other hospitals. Across California, the median is $300.00 at 58 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 2 cities for code 11981, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 INSERTION DRUG DELIVERY IMPLANT | $364.00 | $700.00 | $128.00–$380.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA INSERTION DRUG DELIVERY IMPLANT | $364.00 | $700.00 | $128.00–$380.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 INSERTION DRUG DELIVERY IMPLANT | $364.00 | $700.00 | $128.00–$380.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Insertion Of Drug Delivery Implant Into Tissue | $466.95 | $849.00 | $101.88–$2,395.85 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Insertion of drug delivery implants into tissue for treatment of opioid addiction | $466.95 | $849.00 | $84.90–$2,395.85 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $364.00, median $364.00, highest $466.95 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $364.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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
This is insertion of a small rod-shaped implant under the skin that slowly releases medicine; the most common use is the contraceptive implant placed in the upper arm. It is done in an office with local numbing.
What the price covers
The price covers inserting the implant. The implant itself and the office visit are usually billed separately.