Foreign body removal cost in California

In California, 174 hospitals publish a cash price for removal of a foreign object under the skin, simple: from $86.50 to $14,002.75, with a median of $983.94. The lowest price is at Trinity Hospital (Weaverville). The highest price is 161.9× the lowest.

• The median here, $983.94, is 103% above the US median of $484.50.
• That is 2.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($415.32).
• California ranks 49th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 44 of 174 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 10120. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map