Knee arthroscopy cost in San Francisco, CA
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for knee arthroscopy with meniscus trim: from $7,324.80 to $26,211.60, with a median of $7,324.80. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City and 9 other hospitals. Across California, the median is $5,148.00 at 62 hospitals.
- The median here, $7,324.80, is 30% above the US median of $5,652.32.
- San Francisco, CA ranks 3rd of 3 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 11 cities for code 29881, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 26, 2026 and Apr 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City lowest Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond lowest Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco lowest San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro lowest San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont lowest Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael lowest San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch lowest Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Fnd Hospital - Richmond Campus lowest Richmond, CA · (510) 752-1000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco lowest South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek lowest Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 ARTHRS KNE SURG W/MENISCECTOMY MED/LAT W/SHVG File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $7,324.80 | $13,080.00 | $3,921.00–$12,278.00 | 44% |
| MarinHealth Medical Center one side Greenbrae, CA · (415) 925-7900 REMOVAL OF KNEE CARTILAGE USING AN ENDOSCOPE File of Mar 26, 2026 · source file | $26,211.60 | $43,686.00 | $2,330.00–$31,547.13 | 40% |
| MarinHealth Medical Center one side Greenbrae, CA · (415) 925-7900 REMOVAL OF KNEE CARTILAGE USING AN ENDOSCOPE File of Mar 26, 2026 · source file | $26,917.20 | $44,862.00 | $2,330.00–$31,547.13 | 40% |
Outpatient: lowest $7,324.80, median $7,324.80, highest $26,211.60 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $7,324.80. 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 11 of 11 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 knee arthroscopy is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Knee arthroscopy explained.