Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,912 — 34% above the US median ($2,176), roughly 10.8× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $1,037 | $449 | ★ 4/5 | 193 min | 15.3% |
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr | San Diego, CA | $2,463 | $2,093 | ★ 5/5 | 258 min | 14.3% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego | San Diego, CA | $2,912 | $397 | ★ 4/5 | — | 13.7% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital | San Diego, CA | $3,802 | $3,201 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | 15.4% |
| Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital | San Diego, CA | $3,802 | $3,422 | — | — | — |
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)
Typical cash price here is $2,912 — about 10.8× the Medicare rate ($269). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($538).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,069 list price could save about $2,157 (43%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All MRI of the brain with contrast prices in California → · All MRI of the brain with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in San Diego