Prices at 5 hospitals in San Diego, CA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $2,981 — 43% above the US median ($2,083), roughly 8.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
| Hospital | Location | Cash | Insurer | CMS rating | ER wait | Readmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital | San Diego, CA | $639 | $449 | ★ 4/5 | 194 min | — |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital-San Diego | San Diego, CA | $2,340 | $718 | ★ 4/5 | — | — |
| UC San Diego Health Hillcrest-Hillcrest Med Ctr | San Diego, CA | $2,981 | $2,443 | ★ 5/5 | 259 min | — |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital | San Diego, CA | $3,781 | $2,969 | ★ 4/5 | 197 min | — |
| Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital | San Diego, CA | $3,781 | $3,459 | — | — | — |
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 $2,981 — about 8.0× the Medicare rate ($371). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($743).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $5,041 list price could save about $2,060 (41%).
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 chest prices in California → · All MRI of the chest prices (national) · All hospitals in San Diego