Shoulder arthroscopy, collarbone end removal cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for shoulder arthroscopy with removal of the end of the collarbone (distal clavicle): from $1,471.60 to $34,898.39, with a median of $1,471.60. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos and 2 other hospitals. Across California, the median is $4,187.00 at 50 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 29824, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 SURGICAL ARTHROSCOPY SHOULDER DSTL CLAVICULC | $1,471.60 | $2,830.00 | $3,219.00–$9,573.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA SURGICAL ARTHROSCOPY SHOULDER DSTL CLAVICULC | $1,471.60 | $2,830.00 | $3,219.00–$9,573.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 SURGICAL ARTHROSCOPY SHOULDER DSTL CLAVICULC | $1,471.60 | $2,830.00 | $3,219.00–$9,573.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 Sho arthrs srg dstl claviclc | $4,187.00 | $20,625.00 | $517.50–$20,625.00 | 80% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Partial removal of collar bone at shoulder using an endoscope | $34,898.39 | $63,451.61 | $90.00–$16,679.67 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,471.60, median $1,471.60, highest $34,898.39 — a 23.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $1,471.60. 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 4 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 3 it is 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 shoulder arthroscopy in which the surgeon removes a small piece from the end of the collarbone to relieve arthritis pain at the top of the shoulder.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the operating room, recovery and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesia usually bill separately.