Emergency department visit (level 2) cost in San Diego, CA

Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,092 — 215% above the US median ($347), roughly 27.0× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego, CA $328 $361 ★ 4/5 194 min —
Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego San Diego, CA $747 $412 ★ 4/5 — —
UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr San Diego, CA $1,092 $1,066 ★ 5/5 259 min —
Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA $1,354 $1,092 ★ 4/5 197 min —
Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital San Diego, CA $1,354 $1,083 — — —

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)
$1,805
Cash / self-pay
$1,092
Insurer-negotiated
$1,066
Medicare pays
$40
$496$1,354
Median cash $1,092  ·  Medicare $40  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $1,092 — about 27.0× the Medicare rate ($40). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($81).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $1,805 list price could save about $713 (39%).

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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.

All Emergency department visit (level 2) prices in California → · All Emergency department visit (level 2) prices (national) · All hospitals in San Diego