Shock wave lithotripsy cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for shock-wave lithotripsy to break up kidney stones (from outside the body): from $6,510.40 to $25,098.96, with a median of $6,510.40. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos and 2 other hospitals. Across California, the median is $6,510.40 at 49 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 50590, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 LITHOTRIPSY XTRCORP SHOCK WAVE | $6,510.40 | $12,520.00 | $3,421.00–$10,176.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA LITHOTRIPSY XTRCORP SHOCK WAVE | $6,510.40 | $12,520.00 | $3,421.00–$10,176.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 LITHOTRIPSY XTRCORP SHOCK WAVE | $6,510.40 | $12,520.00 | $3,421.00–$10,176.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Shock wave crushing of kidney stones | $7,706.60 | $14,012.00 | $818.02–$31,168.84 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Shock wave crushing of kidney stones | $13,213.98 | $24,025.42 | $50.00–$31,168.84 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 50590 LITHOTRIPSY CHARGE | $25,098.96 | $41,831.60 | $676.84–$29,282.12 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $6,510.40, median $6,510.40, highest $25,098.96 — a 3.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $6,510.40. 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
Shock-wave lithotripsy breaks kidney or ureter stones into small pieces with sound waves aimed from outside the body, so the pieces can pass in the urine. No cut is made, and it is usually done under sedation or anesthesia.
What the price covers
The listed price usually covers the lithotripsy treatment in the facility. The urologist, anesthesia, X-rays and any stent placement are often billed separately; some hospitals rent the machine from an outside company, which can change how the charge is listed.