Breast biopsy, stereotactic cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for breast needle biopsy guided by mammogram (stereotactic), with marker clip, first lesion: from $1,101.65 to $7,500.14, with a median of $3,092.38. The lowest listed price is at Tri-City Medical Center — $1,990.73 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $4,342.00 at 141 hospitals.
- The median here, $3,092.38, is 10% above the US median of $2,815.00.
- San Diego, CA ranks 2nd of 4 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 7 cities for code 19081, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center lowest Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY BX BRST PLCMT DEV 1ST STRTCTC File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $1,101.65 | $1,836.09 | $638.49–$6,640.00 | 40% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Breast Bx 1st Les Stereo File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,842.75 | $7,371.00 | $139.94–$5,896.80 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Breast Bx 1st Les Stereo File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,842.75 | $7,371.00 | $139.94–$5,896.80 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Breast Bx 1st Les Stereo File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,842.75 | $7,371.00 | $139.94–$5,896.80 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Breast Bx 1st Les Stereo File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,842.75 | $7,371.00 | $139.94–$5,896.80 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Breast Bx 1st Les Stereo File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,842.75 | $7,371.00 | $139.94–$5,896.80 | 75% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY MG BREAST BX W/NEDLE LOC 1ST LESION File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $2,035.64 | $3,392.73 | $638.49–$6,640.00 | 40% |
| Tri-City Medical Center one side Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 MG Breast Biopsy w/ Stereo Guide Right+1 more line at this price File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $2,035.64 | $3,392.73 | $638.49–$6,640.00 | 40% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 BX BREAST W/DEVICE 1ST LESION STEREOTACTIC GUID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $4,342.00 | $8,350.00 | $1,607.00–$4,781.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 BX BREAST W/DEVICE 1ST LESION STEREOTACTIC GUID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $4,342.00 | $8,350.00 | $1,607.00–$4,781.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 BX BREAST W/DEVICE 1ST LESION STEREOTACTIC GUID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $4,342.00 | $8,350.00 | $1,607.00–$4,781.00 | 48% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Biopsy of breast accessed throught the skin with stereotactic guidance File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $5,944.95 | $10,809.00 | $632.17–$14,592.15 | 45% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Biopsy of breast accessed throught the skin with stereotactic guidance File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $6,702.30 | $12,186.00 | $632.17–$10,382.01 | 45% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido one side Escondido, CA MG Stereo Biopsy, 1st Lesion Lt.+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,500.14 | $12,500.24 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway one side Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 MG Stereo Biopsy, 1st Lesion Lt.+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,500.14 | $12,500.24 | — | 40% |
Outpatient: lowest $1,101.65, median $3,092.38, highest $7,500.14 — a 6.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $3,092.38. 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 10 of 10 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 breast biopsy, stereotactic is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Breast biopsy, stereotactic explained.