How much does an ACL reconstruction cost in San Diego?
Arthroscopic knee surgery to rebuild a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 6 San Diego-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.
$9,333
lowest median negotiated rate
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
$30,658
highest (adult hospitals)
UC San Diego Health
3.3×
price spread
same procedure, same metro
Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for the full receipt
cash (self-pay) price
| Hospital | Gross charge | Cash price | Negotiated | Range | # rates | vs median |
|---|
* Specialty hospital (pediatric or cancer center) — rates reflect specialty case mix. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.
SOURCE: standard-charges files from 6 hospitals · file dates 2026-03-30 → 2026-04-01 · retrieved 2026-08-14
Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, the self-pay price is $4,833 — less than the $11,020 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.