Lactate test cost in California

Prices at 179 hospitals in California, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $142 — 70% above the US median ($84), roughly 12.3× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Banner Lassen Medical Center Susanville, CA $22 $21 ★ 3/5 116 min —
Adventist Health Tulare Tulare, CA $27 $17 ★ 3/5 198 min —
Community Hospital of San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA $28 $19 ★ 3/5 153 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ojai Ojai, CA $28 $45 — 114 min —
Trinity Hospital Weaverville, CA $35 $43 — 69 min —
Kern Medical Center Bakersfield, CA $36 $24 ★ 1/5 306 min —
Emanuel Medical Center Turlock, CA $38 — ★ 2/5 190 min —
University of California Davis Medical Center Sacramento, CA $39 $16 ★ 4/5 328 min —
Riverside University Health System-Medical Center Moreno Valley, CA $40 $16 ★ 3/5 234 min —
Ventura County Medical Center Ventura, CA $43 $15 ★ 2/5 178 min —
Community Memorial Hospital-Ventura Ventura, CA $43 $15 ★ 4/5 190 min —
Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District Brawley, CA $46 $12 ★ 3/5 191 min —
Kaweah Health Medical Center Visalia, CA $48 $50 ★ 3/5 254 min —
Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA $51 $12 ★ 3/5 170 min —
Mercy Hospital Bakersfield, CA $51 $12 ★ 3/5 193 min —
Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA $51 $12 ★ 3/5 197 min —
California Hospital Medical Center La Los Angeles, CA $55 $16 ★ 2/5 254 min —
Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CA $64 $10 ★ 5/5 110 min —
Pacifica Hospital of the Valley Sun Valley, CA $64 $12 — 227 min —
Anaheim Global Medical Center Anaheim, CA $64 $14 ★ 2/5 157 min —
Chapman Global Medical Center Orange, CA $64 $14 ★ 2/5 151 min —
Orange County Global Medical Center Santa Ana, CA $64 $14 ★ 2/5 186 min —
Coastal Communities Hospital Santa Ana, CA $64 $14 ★ 1/5 181 min —
Mercy Medical Center Redding Redding, CA $64 — ★ 2/5 194 min —
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Bakersfield, CA $64 $14 ★ 3/5 240 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)
$268
Cash / self-pay
$142
Insurer-negotiated
$12
Medicare pays
$12
$11$333
Median cash $142  ·  Medicare $12  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $142 — about 12.3× the Medicare rate ($12). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($23).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $268 list price could save about $126 (47%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
Quick fill:

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

By city

Lactate test cost in other states

All Lactate test prices (national) → · All hospitals in California →