Neck (cervical) spinal fusion, no complications in San Diego, CA costs $24,592 to $128,176. Here's every hospital's price.
9 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for neck (cervical) spinal fusion, no complications (MS-DRG 473). We read their files every month so you don't have to.
Across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, 9 hospitals list a cash price for neck (cervical) spinal fusion, no complications (MS-DRG 473). The lowest is $24,592 at Paradise Valley Hospital, the median is $72,550 and the highest is $128,176 at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr. The most expensive hospital lists 5.2 times the cheapest for the same code.
The San Diego, CA median of $72,550 is 119% above the national median of $33,135 across 233 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
10 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $2 to $167,483. 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. 6 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 onlyNational City · 29 mi · File Sep 2026
San Diego · 29 mi · File Mar 2026
La Jolla · 28 mi · File Mar 2026
Encinitas · 30 mi · File Mar 2026
La Jolla · 28 mi · File Mar 2026
La Mesa · 22 mi · File Apr 2026
San Diego · 27 mi · File Apr 2026
Chula Vista · 31 mi · File Apr 2026
Coronado · 32 mi · File Apr 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for MS-DRG 473. 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 MS-DRG 473, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."
About neck (cervical) spinal fusion, no complications
MS-DRG 473 is the inpatient stay for a cervical spinal fusion without complications: typically an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) for a herniated disc or narrowing in the neck pressing on a nerve or the spinal cord. The stay is usually one night.
What the price covers
The DRG price is the hospital's charge for the whole stay: operating room, implants (plate, screws, cage or bone graft), room, nursing and supplies. The surgeon and anesthesiologist bill separately, as does any post-operative rehabilitation. One-level ACDFs are increasingly done as outpatient procedures billed with CPT codes, usually at lower cost.
Why prices vary
Spine surgery has some of the highest and most variable hospital prices. Implant costs, surgeon preference for specific hardware and system size all show up. The spread between hospitals in one metro area is commonly two to four times.
Questions to ask
- What is the self-pay price for DRG 473, and what do surgeon and anesthesia add?
- Which implants will be used, and are they included?
- Is a one-level fusion possible as an outpatient, and at what price?
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.
- 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
- UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrNo price file found