Prices at 179 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $160 — 79% above the US median ($90), roughly 11.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Surgical Hospital | Fresno, CA | $26 | $15 | — | — | — |
| Doctors Medical Center | Modesto, CA | $27 | — | ★ 1/5 | 221 min | — |
| Banner Lassen Medical Center | Susanville, CA | $28 | $42 | ★ 3/5 | 116 min | — |
| Kern Medical Center | Bakersfield, CA | $28 | $7 | ★ 1/5 | 306 min | — |
| Children's Hospital of Orange County | Orange, CA | $31 | $19 | — | — | — |
| Children's Hospital at Mission | Mission Viejo, CA | $31 | $19 | — | — | — |
| Healthbridge Children's Hospital-Orange | Orange, CA | $31 | $19 | — | — | — |
| Tri-City Medical Center | Oceanside, CA | $33 | $15 | ★ 1/5 | 248 min | — |
| St Elizabeth Community Hospital | Red Bluff, CA | $34 | $15 | ★ 4/5 | 133 min | — |
| Mercy Medical Center of Mt Shasta | Mount Shasta, CA | $36 | $15 | ★ 4/5 | 89 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai | Ojai, CA | $39 | $61 | — | 114 min | — |
| College Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $43 | $15 | ★ 3/5 | 322 min | — |
| College Hospital | Cerritos, CA | $43 | $15 | — | — | — |
| Glendora Hospital | Glendora, CA | $43 | $15 | — | — | — |
| St Mary Medical Center | Long Beach, CA | $45 | $19 | ★ 5/5 | 150 min | — |
| Trinity Hospital | Weaverville, CA | $48 | $59 | — | 69 min | — |
| St Rose Hospital | Hayward, CA | $51 | $23 | ★ 1/5 | 160 min | — |
| Bear Valley Community Hospital | Big Bear Lake, CA | $54 | $14 | — | 139 min | — |
| Colorado River Medical Center | Needles, CA | $56 | — | — | 121 min | — |
| Ventura County Medical Center | Ventura, CA | $58 | $19 | ★ 2/5 | 178 min | — |
| Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura | Ventura, CA | $58 | $19 | ★ 4/5 | 190 min | — |
| El Camino Health | Mountain View, CA | $62 | — | ★ 4/5 | 163 min | — |
| Palomar Health Downtown Campus | Escondido, CA | $63 | — | ★ 3/5 | 231 min | — |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway | Poway, CA | $63 | — | ★ 4/5 | 200 min | — |
| Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District | Brawley, CA | $63 | $16 | ★ 3/5 | 191 min | — |
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated September 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $160 — about 11.0× the Medicare rate ($15). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($29).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $348 list price could save about $188 (54%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
By city
Ammonia blood test cost in other states
All Ammonia blood test prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →