How much does laparoscopic appendectomy cost in San Francisco, CA?
CPT 44970 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for San Francisco, CA.
| Facility | Type | Price | vs Medicare | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Hospital – Alameda Health System (Oakland) lowest ⚠ likely error | Hospital | $757negotiated | 0.1× | — |
| Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center (Napa) ⚠ likely error | Hospital | $822cash | 0.1× | — |
| Providence Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital (Santa Rosa) ⚠ likely error | Hospital | $884cash | 0.2× | — |
| Stanford Health Care (Stanford) ⚠ likely error | Hospital | $1,283cash | 0.2× | ★★★★★ |
| Natividad Medical Center (Salinas) | Hospital | $1,575cash | 0.3× | — |
| Good Samaritan Hospital (San Jose) | Hospital | $7,098negotiated | 1.2× | — |
| Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital (Santa Rosa) | Hospital | $8,313negotiated | 1.4× | — |
| Dignity Sequoia Hospital (Redwood City) | Hospital | $8,556negotiated | 1.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center (Oakland) | Hospital | $8,596negotiated | 1.5× | — |
| Sutter Eden Medical Center (Castro Valley) | Hospital | $8,596negotiated | 1.5× | — |
| Sutter Mills-Peninsula Medical Center (Burlingame) | Hospital | $8,778negotiated | 1.5× | ★★★★★ |
| Dignity Dominican Hospital (Santa Cruz) | Hospital | $11,256negotiated | 1.9× | — |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley (Pleasanton) | Hospital | $12,589negotiated | 2.2× | — |
| UCSF Medical Center (San Francisco) | Hospital | $17,654negotiated | 3.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center (San Francisco) | Hospital | $22,680cash | 3.9× | ★★★★★ |
| John Muir Health Concord Medical Center (Concord) gross charge | Hospital | $62,936cash | 10.8× | — |
| John Muir Health Walnut Creek Medical Center (Walnut Creek) gross charge | Hospital | $106,927cash | 18.3× | ★★★★★ |
- For 44970 (Laparoscopic appendectomy), Medicare's benchmark rate is $5,834.36. A fair self-pay target for this line is $1,575.00. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
- Your own published cash / self-pay price for 44970 is $1,575.00, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $1,429.00–$15,121.50. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
- Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
- Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
What should 44970 cost in San Francisco, CA?
For laparoscopic appendectomy (CPT 44970) in San Francisco, CA, a fair self-pay price is around $8,596, with hospitals ranging from $1,429 to $15,122 across 17 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $5,834, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.
Frequently asked questions
How much does laparoscopic appendectomy cost in San Francisco, CA?
A fair self-pay price for laparoscopic appendectomy (CPT 44970) in San Francisco, CA is around $8,596, with hospital prices ranging from $1,429 to $15,122 across 17 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.
What is the Medicare rate for CPT 44970?
Medicare pays about $5,834 for laparoscopic appendectomy (CPT 44970). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.
Can I negotiate the price of laparoscopic appendectomy?
Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.
Got a bill for this?
If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.
Compare other procedures in San Francisco, CA
Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.