Bone density scan (DEXA) cost in California

Prices at 155 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $486 — 30% above the US median ($374), roughly 12.3× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
San Joaquin General Hospital French Camp, CA $76 $134 ★ 2/5 213 min —
Lompoc Valley Medical Center Lompoc, CA $97 $135 ★ 1/5 171 min —
Eisenhower Medical Center Rancho Mirage, CA $100 $134 ★ 4/5 259 min —
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $127 $134 ★ 4/5 194 min —
Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla La Jolla, CA $127 $134 ★ 5/5 186 min —
Scripps Green Hospital La Jolla, CA $127 $134 ★ 5/5 — —
Scripps Memorial Hospital-Encinitas Encinitas, CA $127 $134 ★ 4/5 200 min —
Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 188 min —
Saint Francis Medical Center Lynwood, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 238 min —
Garden Grove Hospital & Medical Center Garden Grove, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 134 min —
West Anaheim Medical Center Anaheim, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 190 min —
Huntington Beach Hospital Huntington Beach, CA $133 $134 ★ 1/5 158 min —
La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 204 min —
Desert Valley Hospital Victorville, CA $133 $134 ★ 3/5 167 min —
Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 140 min —
Shasta Regional Medical Center Redding, CA $133 $134 ★ 2/5 156 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $136 $135 ★ 3/5 240 min —
St Bernardine Medical Center San Bernardino, CA $144 $135 ★ 2/5 176 min —
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $153 $135 ★ 2/5 254 min —
Colorado River Medical Center Needles, CA $166 — — 121 min —
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $177 $50 ★ 1/5 306 min —
Fresno Surgical Hospital Fresno, CA $183 $114 — — —
Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA $192 $136 ★ 3/5 224 min —
Mercy Medical Center of Mt Shasta Mount Shasta, CA $206 $223 ★ 4/5 89 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $221 — ★ 2/5 194 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 October 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)
$900
Cash / self-pay
$486
Insurer-negotiated
$149
Medicare pays
$39
$133$952
Median cash $486  ·  Medicare $39  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $486 — about 12.3× the Medicare rate ($39). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($79).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $900 list price could save about $414 (46%).

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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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Bone density scan (DEXA) cost in other states

All Bone density scan (DEXA) prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →