CMS Price Transparency Data

Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair

Facility: Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr

Billing Code: 29881 (CPT)

The BaseRate · fair price medium confidence

A fair price for this

$3,348

about 1.0× the $3,343 Medicare rate · typically $1,116–$5,300

modeled estimate · not a bill or quote

What this hospital charges insurers

$790

Below the fair price — a good deal

about $2,558 under the fair price · 0.2× Medicare

Medicare pays $3,343 Fair price $3,348 This hospital $790 Cash price $17,055 Hospital's list price $31,010

How we calculate the fair BaseRate →

How this hospital compares to other CA hospitals

A typical price — 2 charge more and 5 charge less, among the 9 CA hospitals compared.

Cheapest $551 Priciest $860

Black dot = this hospital, among the 9 CA hospitals with a price for this procedure. Full list below.

⚠ The cash price looks unusually high next to the insurance price — it may be the full list price, not a real cash discount. Call to confirm the self-pay rate.

A fair price for a Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair is about $3,348 (about 1.0× the $3,343 Medicare rate). Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr charges insurers about $790, or about $17,055 in cash — below the fair price — a good deal. Located in San Diego, CA.

What each insurance company pays

Which insurers have negotiated a price with this hospital for this procedure — and which haven’t.

6 of 6 major insurers have a published price at this hospital

✓ UnitedHealthcare✓ Blue Cross Blue Shield✓ Aetna✓ Cigna✓ Humana✓ Kaiser Permanente

Crossed out = this hospital hasn’t published a negotiated price for that insurer for this procedure. It doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t accepted — ask your insurer.

Insurance company	Price range	vs. Medicare
UnitedHealthcaremajor	$790 - $21,707	24%
Blue Cross Blue Shieldmajor	$95 - $18,184	3%
Aetnamajor	$95 - $15,691	3%
Cignamajor	$3,721 - $18,606	111%
Humanamajor	$3,721 - $26,358	111%
Kaiser Permanentemajor	$20,776 - $31,010	622%
Health Net	$128 - $20,156	4%
HealthPartners	$20,156	603%
Molina	$120 - $4,123	4%
Sentara	$1,146	34%
+ 67 smaller / regional plans	$95 - $41,863

Government programs also on file: Medicaid, Military & VA.

Excludes 6 rental-network / third-party entries (e.g. Multiplan, PHCS) — these are pricing networks, not insurers.

Self-Pay How to get the cash price

Tell the billing desk you want to be billed as self-pay — not through insurance — before your visit.
Ask for the cash / prompt-pay discount in writing, with the exact price (about 17,055), before you agree to anything.
Get it in writing that they won’t also bill your insurance, so the cash price is what you owe.
Check the CPT code on your bill matches exactly: 29881.

Insurance Before you use insurance

Call your insurance company to confirm Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr is in-network.
Ask your insurer whether prior approval is required for CPT code 29881.
Confirm the doctor or provider is in-network too — not just the hospital building.
Check your Explanation of Benefits against the hospital’s final itemized bill.

Estimate your out-of-pocket cost

A rough estimate of what you’d pay with insurance (deductible + coinsurance) versus paying the cash price yourself.

How you’d pay

Deductible left to meet ($)

Your coinsurance (%)

Enter your details and press estimate to compare.

Other Procedures at Uc San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med Ctr

Compare: Knee arthroscopy with meniscus repair at other CA hospitals

Insurance negotiated median for the same procedure, sorted lowest first.