Prices at 4 hospitals in San Francisco, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $6,311 — 228% above the US median ($1,922), roughly 27.9× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $6,238 | $500 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| California Pacific Medical Center-Van Ness Campus | San Francisco, CA | $6,311 | $504 | ★ 3/5 | 198 min | — |
| California Pacific Medical Ctr-Davies Campus Hosp | San Francisco, CA | $6,437 | $504 | ★ 3/5 | 160 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)
Typical cash price here is $6,311 — about 27.9× the Medicare rate ($226). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($453).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $6,437 list price could save about $126 (2%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
All MRA of the brain with contrast prices in California → · All MRA of the brain with contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in San Francisco