How much does laparoscopic appendectomy cost in California?

CPT 44970 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for California.

Estimates only. Educational estimates from public Medicare benchmarks and hospital-published prices — not a guarantee, and not legal, medical, or financial advice.
44970 Laparoscopic appendectomy
Ask to pay
$1,283
This is the local cash / self-pay price — usually the best rate you can ask for.
What Medicare paysⓘ
$5,834
Typical price near you
$8,555
Cash / self-pay price
$1,283
Prices near you — 86 facilities, lowest first
FacilityTypePricevs MedicareQuality
Adventist Health Bakersfield (Bakersfield) lowest ⚠ likely error Hospital $49cash 0.0× —
Adventist Health Glendale (Glendale) ⚠ likely error Hospital $327cash 0.1× ★★★★★
Sharp Grossmont Hospital (La Mesa) ⚠ likely error Hospital $340cash 0.1× ★★★★★
Sharp Memorial Hospital (San Diego) ⚠ likely error Hospital $340cash 0.1× ★★★★★
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center (Chula Vista) ⚠ likely error Hospital $340cash 0.1× —
Sharp Coronado Hospital (Coronado) ⚠ likely error Hospital $340cash 0.1× ★★★★★
Adventist Health White Memorial (Los Angeles) ⚠ likely error Hospital $392cash 0.1× —
Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage) ⚠ likely error Hospital $412negotiated 0.1× ★★★★★
Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center (Burbank) ⚠ likely error Hospital $429cash 0.1× —
Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center (Tarzana) ⚠ likely error Hospital $429cash 0.1× ★★★★★
Providence Little Company of Mary Torrance (Torrance) ⚠ likely error Hospital $429cash 0.1× ★★★★★
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center (Mission Hills) ⚠ likely error Hospital $429cash 0.1× —
Prices from each hospital's public machine-readable file; imaging & surgery-center prices are published self-pay rates (often the cheapest option). vs Medicare is how many times the Medicare rate each facility charges. 28 unusually low/high prices excluded from the typical price as likely data errors.
💬 What to say — negotiation scripts
  • For 44970 (Laparoscopic appendectomy), Medicare's benchmark rate is $5,834.36. A fair self-pay target for this line is $1,283.00. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
  • Your own published cash / self-pay price for 44970 is $1,283.00, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $873.77–$11,274.56. 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.
See laparoscopic appendectomy prices in another area
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What should 44970 cost in California?

For laparoscopic appendectomy (CPT 44970) in California, a fair self-pay price is around $8,555, with hospitals ranging from $874 to $11,275 across 86 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 California?

A fair self-pay price for laparoscopic appendectomy (CPT 44970) in California is around $8,555, with hospital prices ranging from $874 to $11,275 across 86 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.

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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.