Precancerous spot removal cost in Los Angeles, CA — inpatient
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for destruction of a precancerous skin lesion (actinic keratosis), first lesion as an inpatient: from $42.40 to $918.72, with a median of $256.55. The lowest listed price is at UCI Health-Orange — $214.15 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $397.60 at 58 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 11 cities for code 17000, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 27, 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCI Health-Orange lowest Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HB DESTRUCTION PREMALIGNANT LESION 1ST | $42.40 | $106.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Tarzana, CA · (818) 881-0800 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $140.00 | $400.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health-Orange Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HB DESTRUCTION PREMALIGNANT LESION 1ST | $162.40 | $406.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, CA · (818) 365-8051 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $164.50 | $470.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| USC Arcadia Hospital Arcadia, CA · (626) 898-8000 DESTRUCTION PREMLGNT FIRST LES | $220.85 | $631.00 | $473.25–$631.00 | 65% | Jul 27, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Co of Mary Medical Center San Pedro San Pedro, CA · (310) 832-3311 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $242.20 | $692.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance Torrance, CA · (310) 540-7676 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $242.20 | $692.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint John's Health Center Santa Monica, CA · (310) 829-5511 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $256.55 | $733.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $331.68 | $691.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $489.60 | $1,020.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Burbank, CA · (818) 843-5111 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $523.25 | $1,495.00 | — | 65% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| USC Kenneth Norris Jr Cancer Hospital Los Angeles, CA Destruction Premalignant Lesion 1St | $772.75 | $772.75 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles, CA · (323) 442-8656 Destruction Premalignant Lesion 1St | $823.75 | $823.75 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC ED DESTRUCT PREMALG LESION FIRST LESION CDM | $918.72 | $1,914.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $42.40, median $256.55, highest $918.72 — a 21.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $256.55 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated and 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 destroying a precancerous skin spot, such as an actinic keratosis, usually by freezing with liquid nitrogen. It is billed for the first lesion.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the procedure and numbing medicine. The visit may be billed separately.