Removal of a breast lump (biopsy by excision) in San Diego, CA costs $3,984 to $5,011. Here's every hospital's price.
5 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for removal of a breast lump (biopsy by excision) (CPT 19120). We read their files every month so you don't have to.
Across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, 5 hospitals list a cash price for removal of a breast lump (biopsy by excision) (CPT 19120). The lowest is $3,984 at Scripps Mercy Hospital, the median is $3,984 and the highest is $5,011 at Paradise Valley Hospital.
The San Diego, CA median of $3,984 is 28% above the national median of $3,114 across 596 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
6 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $213 to $19,167. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.
The files behind these prices are dated between March 2026 and September 2026. 10 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.
Sorted by cash price
Hospital facility fee onlySan Diego · 29 mi · File Mar 2026
La Jolla · 28 mi · File Mar 2026
La Jolla · 28 mi · File Mar 2026
Encinitas · 30 mi · File Mar 2026
National City · 29 mi · File Sep 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 19120. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.
Cash vs. insured
Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.
What to say on the phone
"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 19120, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."
About removal of a breast lump (biopsy by excision)
CPT 19120 is the surgical removal of a breast lump, cyst or other mass through an incision, with the tissue sent to pathology. It is an outpatient operation under general or local anesthesia, taking about an hour, and is used when a needle biopsy is not possible or when the whole lump needs to come out.
What the price covers
The hospital's price is the facility fee for the operating room, nursing, supplies and recovery. The surgeon, the anesthesia provider and the pathologist bill separately. Pre-operative imaging and any wire or seed placed to locate the lump are separate charges.
Why prices vary
Outpatient breast surgery prices span several times within one metro area. Ambulatory surgery centers, which do not publish these files, are often considerably cheaper than hospital outpatient departments for the same operation. Large systems and academic centers list the highest charges.
Questions to ask
- What is the self-pay price for 19120, and what do surgeon, anesthesia and pathology add?
- Is localization (wire or seed) needed, and what does it cost?
- Can the surgeon do it at an ambulatory surgery center?
Hospitals in San Diego, CA without a price for this procedure
Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.
- Grossmont Hospitalcode not in file
- Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San DiegoNo price file found
- Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San MarcosNo website on record
- Palomar Health Downtown CampusWebsite blocks automated reading
- Palomar Medical Center PowayWebsite blocks automated reading
- Rady Children's Hospital - San DiegoFile in an unsupported format
- Sharp Chula Vista Medical Centercode not in file
- Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctrcode not in file
- Sharp Memorial Hospitalcode not in file
- UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrNo price file found