ACDF (neck fusion) cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), one level as an inpatient: from $14,331.20 to $14,331.20, with a median of $14,331.20. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos and 2 other hospitals. Across California, the median is $9,951.20 at 44 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 22551, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
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 ARTHRD ANT INTERBODY DECOMPRESS CERVICAL BELW C2 | $14,331.20 | $27,560.00 | $12,764.00–$37,964.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA ARTHRD ANT INTERBODY DECOMPRESS CERVICAL BELW C2 | $14,331.20 | $27,560.00 | $12,764.00–$37,964.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ARTHRD ANT INTERBODY DECOMPRESS CERVICAL BELW C2 | $14,331.20 | $27,560.00 | $12,764.00–$37,964.00 | 48% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $14,331.20, median $14,331.20, highest $14,331.20.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $14,331.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 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
An ACDF removes a damaged disc in the neck through a small incision in the front, and fuses the two vertebrae.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately.