Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in California (2026)
High-cost market · RPP 113.3 · CA
What Drives Pricing Here
Three factors explain most of why knee replacement surgery costs what it does in California.
Regional Price Parity
California's cost-of-living index sits at 113.3 — above the national benchmark (100). This directly scales facility and staffing overhead, which flow through to every procedure price.
Specialist Availability
305 facilities perform this procedure in California — competition keeps pricing honest and gives you real leverage to shop quotes.
Vs. National Benchmark
At +13.3% above the national average ($35,000), California sits in premium territory. Likely drivers: high demand, metro concentration, or tier-one facility networks.
Knee Replacement Surgery in California: What to Know
California offers premier knee replacement options. Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles is ranked #1 in California for Orthopedics, while El Camino Health in Northern California performs over 500 knee replacements annually, earning the Gold Seal of Approval®. Many facilities, including El Camino Health and UC San Diego Health, utilize innovative techniques like Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted surgery and the ROSA Robotic Surgical Assistant for enhanced precision and recovery.
For potential savings, consider Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) in California, which can offer significantly lower costs compared to hospitals for knee replacement. Outpatient procedures, where you're discharged the same day, are also common at top programs like Cedars-Sinai. Verify current pricing directly with providers.
Estimated Cost Breakdown in California
Patients in California face some of the highest knee replacement surgery costs nationwide. Here's how the premium distributes across the bill.
Facility Fee
OR time and hospital staffing
Most significant cost
Surgeon Fee
Expertise and experience level
Implants & Supplies
Post-Op Care
Recovery and aftercare
Anesthesia
Anesthesiologist or CRNA fee
Total Estimated Cost
California all-in range
Financing Options
Many California clinics partner with CareCredit or Alphaeon. A typical 24-month, 0% APR term on $39,655 looks like:
- Soft credit check — no hard pull
- Instant approval decisions
- HSA/FSA eligible for qualifying cases
Based on CMS Medicare data and regional price parities. Learn about our methodology →
Ranges adjusted for California's regional price parity (113.3). See the national percentage breakdown →
Facility Costs in California
California has both hospital and outpatient surgery center options for knee replacement surgery. Outpatient centers typically charge less due to lower overhead. Rates shown are negotiated amounts — what insurers actually pay, not inflated list prices.
| Facility | City | Negotiated Rate | Medicare | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoag Orthopedic Institute | Irvine | $14,804 | $13,201 | 1,613 |
| Washington Hospital | Fremont | $19,475 | $17,875 | 1,297 |
| Eisenhower Medical Center | Rancho Mirage | $14,634 | $13,034 | 1,096 |
| Fresno Surgical Hospital | Fresno | $14,584 | $12,983 | 806 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Los Angeles | $15,830 | $14,233 | 666 |
| El Camino Hospital | Mountain View | $19,363 | $17,762 | 631 |
| Adventist Health St Helena | Saint Helena | $17,420 | $15,819 | 618 |
| Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital | Santa Barbara | $16,258 | $14,658 | 535 |
| Scripps Green Hospital | La Jolla | $14,818 | $13,217 | 524 |
| Stanford Health Care | Stanford | $19,495 | $17,895 | 510 |
| Facility | City | Negotiated Rate | Medicare | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint John's Health Center | Santa Monica | $17,522 | $15,591 | 462 |
| Scripps Green Hospital | La Jolla | $19,160 | $16,856 | 330 |
| Hoag Orthopedic Institute | Irvine | $15,997 | $14,133 | 298 |
| Torrance Memorial Medical Center | Torrance | $16,554 | $14,418 | 292 |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Los Angeles | $22,803 | $19,686 | 256 |
| John Muir Medical Center - Walnut Creek Campus | Walnut Creek | $21,911 | $18,650 | 249 |
| Santa Monica - Ucla Med Ctr & Orthopaedic Hospital | Santa Monica | $22,696 | $19,828 | 213 |
| Stanford Health Care | Stanford | $31,002 | $25,338 | 206 |
| Enloe Health | Chico | $16,058 | $14,393 | 193 |
| Eisenhower Medical Center | Rancho Mirage | $18,878 | $16,725 | 182 |
Knee Replacement Surgery Cost in Nearby States
Among neighboring states, California has the highest knee replacement surgery costs. Patients near the border may find savings nearby.
Expert Answers for California Patients
Local regulations, insurance nuance, and surgical standards specific to California.
Compare California with any other state
See national pricing, all 50 state comparisons, and detailed cost factors in the main knee replacement surgery cost guide.
View full knee replacement surgery guideHow much does knee replacement surgery cost in California?
Why are knee replacement surgery prices higher in California?
Can I use insurance for knee replacement surgery in California?
What's the recovery time for knee replacement surgery?
Are payment plans available for knee replacement surgery in California?
How do I compare knee replacement surgery facilities in California?
Is it worth traveling to another state for knee replacement surgery?
How we calculate knee replacement surgery costs in California
Cost estimates combine procedure-specific pricing data with regional cost-of-living and provider-supply adjustments. Primary sources:
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Hospital pricing transparency files — CMS-required machine-readable data published by hospitals under the CMS Hospital Price Transparency rule (effective January 2021). Provides actual negotiated rates between hospitals and insurers.
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HCUP (Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project) — AHRQ's HCUP databases provide nationally-representative procedure cost data by state, payer, and patient demographics.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics — Healthcare Practitioner Occupational Wages — BLS OEWS data on surgeon, anesthesiologist, and surgical staff wages by state, used to model regional labor-cost differences in procedure pricing.
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BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP) — U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis state-level price-level indices, used to adjust national procedure averages for California's cost-of-living relative to the national mean.
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FAIR Health Consumer Cost Lookup — the FAIR Health database aggregates billed and allowed amounts from over 36 billion claim records, providing a check on procedure-cost ranges by ZIP code.
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Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data — CMS public-use files on Medicare-allowed amounts and submitted charges by HCPCS/CPT code and state, used as a baseline for procedure-cost ranges.
Estimates are illustrative and reflect typical pricing ranges; actual costs depend on insurance coverage, surgical complexity, anesthesia type, hospital vs. ambulatory setting, and individual patient factors. Always confirm pricing directly with providers and your insurance carrier. See our methodology page for full calculation details.