Laser treatment after cataract surgery (YAG) in San Diego, CA costs $252. Here's every hospital's price.
4 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for laser treatment after cataract surgery (yag) (CPT 66821). We read their files every month so you don't have to.
Across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, 4 hospitals list a cash price for laser treatment after cataract surgery (yag) (CPT 66821). The lowest is $252 at Scripps Mercy Hospital, the median is $252 and the highest is $252 at Scripps Memorial Hospital - Encinitas.
The San Diego, CA median of $252 is 71% below the national median of $875 across 385 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
4 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $81 to $1,768. 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 March 2026. 12 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
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 66821. 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 66821, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."
About laser treatment after cataract surgery (yag)
After cataract surgery, the membrane that holds the new lens can cloud over months or years later. CPT 66821 is the fix: a YAG laser opens a small hole in that membrane in a few minutes, in an office or outpatient setting, with no incision and no sedation. Vision usually clears within a day.
What the price covers
The hospital's price is the facility fee for the laser suite and staff. The ophthalmologist bills separately. There is no anesthesia provider; numbing drops are included.
Why prices vary
For a five-minute laser treatment, hospital facility fees vary widely. Many ophthalmologists perform it in their own office, where the total is often far below the hospital's facility fee. If a hospital's price looks high, it is worth asking the surgeon whether the office is an option.
Questions to ask
- What is the self-pay price for 66821, facility and physician together?
- Can this be done in the surgeon's office instead of the hospital?
- Is a follow-up visit included?
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
- Paradise Valley Hospitalcode not in file
- 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
- Tri-City Medical Centercode not in file
- UC San Diego Health Hillcrest - Hillcrest Med CtrNo price file found