SelfPayRates
Cash prices California Outpatient

Doctor visit cost in California without insurance

In California, the median cash price for Returning patient visit, 20 min is $143.00 across 97 hospitals, from $29.13 to $1,823.89. The lowest is at Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage). The US median is $142.05.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

A doctor visit is billed by level: codes 99202–99205 are for new patients and 99212–99215 for returning patients, and the level reflects the complexity of the medical decisions or the total time the clinician spent that day. Lab tests, X-rays and procedures are billed on their own, and a visit at a hospital-owned clinic can add a separate hospital facility fee.

Collected Nov 8, 2026 One price per hospital: its lowest outpatient cash price for the code

Doctor visit prices in California by type

You count as a new patient if you have not been seen by that clinician, or another of the same specialty in the same group, in the past three years. 99213, a low-complexity visit for a returning patient, is one of the most common codes and is used in the state table; 99243 and 99244 are specialist consultations requested by another clinician.

ProcedureHospitalsRangeMedianUS median
New patient visit, 15 min New patient office visit, straightforward problem or 15+ minutes · code 99202 90 $20.81–$1,186.99 $139.65 $127.79
New patient visit, 30 min New patient office visit, about 30 minutes · code 99203 91 $36.07–$2,235.10 $214.20 $176.53
New patient visit, 45 min New patient office visit, about 45 minutes · code 99204 92 $59.10–$2,957.71 $244.50 $232.80
New patient visit, 60 min New patient office visit, about 60 minutes · code 99205 83 $66.33–$3,300.57 $342.09 $295.75
Returning patient visit, 10 min Returning patient office visit, straightforward problem or 10+ minutes · code 99212 96 $15.71–$1,434.37 $114.95 $107.25
Returning patient visit, 20 min Returning patient office visit, low complexity or 20+ minutes · code 99213 97 $29.13–$1,823.89 $143.00 $142.05
Returning patient visit, 30 min Returning patient office visit, moderate complexity or 30+ minutes · code 99214 93 $36.00–$2,602.53 $201.00 $176.84
Returning patient visit, 40 min Returning patient office visit, high complexity or 40+ minutes · code 99215 86 $63.68–$4,632.56 $251.99 $227.33
Specialist consultation Specialist consultation, low complexity or 30+ minutes · code 99243 25 $66.33–$726.00 $173.00 $169.00
Specialist consult, extended Specialist consultation, moderate complexity or 40+ minutes · code 99244 24 $66.33–$1,064.80 $202.50 $219.70
Procedure The service and its billing code (CPT or HCPCS). Opens the comparison of every hospital that prices it. More
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Middle 80% Cash prices of most hospitals: a tenth of hospitals charge less than the first number (P10), a tenth charge more than the second (P90). More
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
US median The median cash price across all US hospitals that publish one for this code.

Outpatient cash prices in California. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest cash price for the code; prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Pick a procedure to compare every hospital in the state.

Lowest Returning patient visit, 20 min prices in California

Doctor visit cost by metro area in California

Doctor visit cost in other states

Paying cash: what to do

  • Ask whether the clinic is hospital-owned and bills a separate facility fee; independent offices usually do not.
  • Ask for the self-pay price by visit level and which level is typical for your reason for coming, since the level is set after the visit.
  • Community health centers (federally qualified health centers) charge on a sliding fee scale based on income, whether or not you have insurance.