YAG laser capsulotomy cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for laser treatment of clouding after cataract surgery (YAG): from $251.55 to $1,570.40, with a median of $834.75. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego and 4 other hospitals — $583.20 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $1,620.67 at 74 hospitals.
- The median here, $834.75, is 27% below the US median of $1,138.95.
- That is 1.5× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($561.91).
- San Diego, CA has the lowest median of 3 metro areas in California with at least 10 hospitals pricing this code.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 7 cities for code 66821, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 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 Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Discisn 2nd Cataract Lasr V+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $251.55 | $1,006.20 | $80.50–$1,768.47 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Discisn 2nd Cataract Lasr V+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $251.55 | $1,006.20 | $80.50–$1,768.47 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Discisn 2nd Cataract Lasr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $251.55 | $1,006.20 | $80.50–$1,768.47 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Discisn 2nd Cataract Lasr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $251.55 | $1,006.20 | $80.50–$1,768.47 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Discisn 2nd Cataract Lasr+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $251.55 | $1,006.20 | $80.50–$1,768.47 | 75% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Recurring Cataract In Lens Capsule Using Laser File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $624.25 | $1,135.00 | $267.01–$10,382.01 | 45% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Removal Of Recurring Cataract In Lens Capsule Using Laser File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $749.65 | $1,363.00 | $163.56–$10,382.01 | 45% |
| Grossmont Hospital one side La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC DISCISSION2ND CATARACTLASER File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $834.75 | $1,113.00 | $1.00–$1,001.70 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center one side Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC DISCISSION2ND CATARACTLASER File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $834.75 | $1,113.00 | $0.19–$857.01 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center one side Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC DISCISSION2ND CATARACTLASER File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $834.75 | $1,113.00 | $1.00–$890.40 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital one side San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC DISCISSION2ND CATARACTLASER File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $834.75 | $1,113.00 | $1.00–$912.66 | 25% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 POST-CATARACT LASER SURGERY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,570.40 | $3,020.00 | $544.00–$1,619.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 POST-CATARACT LASER SURGERY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,570.40 | $3,020.00 | $544.00–$1,619.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 POST-CATARACT LASER SURGERY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,570.40 | $3,020.00 | $544.00–$1,619.00 | 48% |
Outpatient: lowest $251.55, median $834.75, highest $1,570.40 — a 6.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $834.75. 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 13 of 13 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 YAG laser capsulotomy is, what the price covers and why prices differ: YAG laser capsulotomy explained.