CT scan of the chest with and without contrast cost in California

Prices at 174 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $3,334 — 90% above the US median ($1,755), roughly 17.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $742 $226 ★ 4/5 193 min 15.3%
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA $742 $226 ★ 5/5 180 min 13.8%
Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA $742 $226 ★ 5/5 13.9%
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas Encinitas, CA $742 $226 ★ 4/5 194 min 14.5%
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $743 $310 ★ 2/5 178 min 16.7%
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $743 $310 ★ 4/5 192 min 15.2%
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $980 $238 ★ 1/5 293 min 15.3%
Kaweah Health Medical Center Visalia, CA $1,114 $1,083 ★ 3/5 275 min 14.4%
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital Banning, CA $1,143 $236 ★ 3/5 191 min 14.6%
Healdsburg Hospital Healdsburg, CA $1,195 $988 94 min 15.1%
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $1,237 $225 ★ 3/5 190 min 15.0%
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $1,252 128 min 15.0%
Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA $1,258 $394 ★ 3/5 228 min 15.1%
L a Downtown Medical Center Los Angeles, CA $1,260 ★ 3/5 19.1%
Antelope Valley Hospital Lancaster, CA $1,260 $258 ★ 1/5 266 min 15.4%
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $1,548 $638 ★ 3/5 171 min 14.7%
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $1,548 $638 ★ 3/5 190 min 15.3%
Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA $1,548 $638 ★ 3/5 200 min 14.8%
Jerold Phelps Community Hospital Garberville, CA $1,641 148 min
St Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton Stockton, CA $1,687 $394 ★ 3/5 227 min 13.9%
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $1,689 $394 ★ 3/5 226 min 15.2%
St Rose Hospital Hayward, CA $1,746 $369 ★ 1/5 167 min 16.5%
St Mary Medical Center Long Beach, CA $1,815 $322 ★ 5/5 153 min 14.0%
Bear Valley Community Hospital Big Bear Lake, CA $1,820 $1,628 143 min
Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CA $1,945 $2,485 ★ 5/5 116 min 14.8%

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 June 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)

Chargemaster (list price)
$5,607
Cash / self-pay
$3,334
Insurer-negotiated
$316
Medicare pays
$196
$594$5,899
Median cash $3,334  ·  Medicare $196  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $3,334 — about 17.0× the Medicare rate ($196). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($391).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,607 list price could save about $2,273 (41%).

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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

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CT scan of the chest with and without contrast cost in other states

All CT scan of the chest with and without contrast prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →