Breast biopsy, ultrasound-guided cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for ultrasound-guided breast needle biopsy with marker clip, first lesion: from $1,974.16 to $3,213.60, with a median of $3,213.60. The lowest listed price is at Tri-City Medical Center — $1,239.44 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $3,213.60 at 78 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 19083, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center lowest Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY BX BRST PLCMT DEV 1ST LES US | $1,974.16 | $3,290.27 | $620.06–$6,640.00 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Biopsy of breast accessed throught the skin with ultrasound guidance | $2,396.90 | $4,358.00 | $522.96–$10,382.01 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA BX BREAST W/DEVICE 1ST LESION ULTRASOUND GUID | $3,213.60 | $6,180.00 | $1,607.00–$4,781.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 BX BREAST W/DEVICE 1ST LESION ULTRASOUND GUID | $3,213.60 | $6,180.00 | $1,607.00–$4,781.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 BX BREAST W/DEVICE 1ST LESION ULTRASOUND GUID | $3,213.60 | $6,180.00 | $1,607.00–$4,781.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Biopsy of breast accessed throught the skin with ultrasound guidance | $3,236.20 | $5,884.00 | $613.92–$10,382.01 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,974.16, median $3,213.60, highest $3,213.60 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $3,213.60. 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
In this biopsy a needle guided by ultrasound takes tissue samples from a breast lump or area of concern, and a tiny marker clip is placed at the site. It is usually done after an abnormal mammogram or breast ultrasound.
What the price covers
The price covers the biopsy of the first lesion with ultrasound guidance and the clip. The pathologist's exam is billed separately, and a follow-up mammogram to check the clip position may also be billed separately.