Occipital nerve block cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for occipital nerve block (injection for headaches) as an inpatient: from $243.00 to $878.80, with a median of $787.28. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $544.28 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $878.80 at 80 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 64405, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Njx Aa&/Strd Gr Ocpl Nrv | $243.00 | $324.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 CITY IR INJ ANES OCCIPITAL NERVE | $461.41 | $769.01 | $538.31–$599.06 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 64405-Inject Nerve Block Great Occipital | $514.19 | $856.98 | $599.89–$667.59 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Injection of anesthetic agent and/or steroid into greater occipital nerve of upper neck and back of head | $695.75 | $1,265.00 | $72.20–$5,480.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 INJECTION AA&/STRD GREATER OCCIPITAL NERVE | $878.80 | $1,690.00 | $293.00–$871.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA INJECTION AA&/STRD GREATER OCCIPITAL NERVE | $878.80 | $1,690.00 | $293.00–$871.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 INJECTION AA&/STRD GREATER OCCIPITAL NERVE | $878.80 | $1,690.00 | $293.00–$871.00 | 48% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $243.00, median $787.28, highest $878.80 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $695.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 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 1 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
An occipital nerve block injects numbing medicine, often with a steroid, near the nerves at the back of the head to treat some headaches and migraines.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the injection. The steroid or other medicine may be billed separately.