Stitches, small wound cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for simple repair of a superficial wound 2.5 cm or less, scalp, neck, body or limbs: from $256.00 to $551.20, with a median of $491.48. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $235.48 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $551.20 at 86 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 12001, 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 Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 SMP RPR S/N/AX/G/T<2.5CM | $256.00 | $1,369.97 | $100.39–$1,369.97 | 81% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 ED WOULD CLOSURE BY ADH - 12001 - 8900441 | $256.00 | $1,051.17 | $100.39–$1,369.97 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 12001-Scalp/Neck/Trunk/Genital/Extremity <= 2.5 cm | $347.14 | $578.57 | $70.69–$3,004.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Repair Of Wound (2.5 Centimeters Or Less) Of The Scalp, Neck, Underarms, Trunk, Arms And/Or Legs | $431.75 | $785.00 | $80.31–$7,505.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 SIMPLE REPAIR SCALP/NECK/AX/GENIT/TRUNK 2.5CM/< | $551.20 | $1,060.00 | $197.00–$586.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 SIMPLE REPAIR SCALP/NECK/AX/GENIT/TRUNK 2.5CM/< | $551.20 | $1,060.00 | $197.00–$586.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA SIMPLE REPAIR SCALP/NECK/AX/GENIT/TRUNK 2.5CM/< | $551.20 | $1,060.00 | $197.00–$586.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Repair Of Wound (2.5 Centimeters Or Less) Of The Scalp, Neck, Underarms, Trunk, Arms And/Or Legs | $555.50 | $1,010.00 | $12.00–$7,505.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $256.00, median $491.48, highest $551.20 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $551.20. 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 6 of 6 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 simple closure of a clean, shallow cut 2.5 cm (about an inch) or less on the scalp, neck, armpit, genitals, trunk, arms, legs, hands or feet, usually with stitches. Cuts on the face, ears, eyelids, nose or lips use a different code series.
What the price covers
The price covers cleaning and closing the wound. The emergency room or urgent care visit, a tetanus shot and any X-ray are billed separately.