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Cash prices California Outpatient

Physical therapy cost in California without insurance

In California, the median cash price for Physical therapy, 15 min is $129.36 across 148 hospitals, from $14.98 to $390.00. The lowest is at Eisenhower Medical Center (Rancho Mirage). The US median is $93.09.

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.

Physical therapy is billed in pieces: a first evaluation (97161–97163, by complexity), then treatment codes such as therapeutic exercise (97110) and manual therapy (97140) charged per 15-minute unit. A typical visit combines several units, so a visit costs a multiple of the per-unit price, and a course of care often runs for several weeks.

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

Physical therapy prices in California by type

The treatment codes are priced per 15-minute unit, so multiply by the number of units you expect per visit; the evaluation is billed once at the start of care. The state table uses 97110, therapeutic exercise.

ProcedureHospitalsRangeMedianUS median
PT evaluation, low complexity Physical therapy evaluation, low complexity (typically about 20 minutes) · code 97161 141 $50.95–$959.67 $236.12 $199.50
PT evaluation, mod. complexity Physical therapy evaluation, moderate complexity (typically about 30 minutes) · code 97162 144 $50.95–$1,102.02 $354.40 $226.43
PT evaluation, high complexity Physical therapy evaluation, high complexity (typically about 45 minutes) · code 97163 140 $50.95–$1,468.62 $392.40 $258.44
Physical therapy, 15 min Physical therapy, therapeutic exercise (15-minute unit) · code 97110 148 $14.98–$390.00 $129.36 $93.09
Manual therapy, 15 min Physical therapy, hands-on manual therapy (15-minute unit) · code 97140 138 $14.12–$427.00 $119.84 $95.47
Therapeutic activities Therapeutic activities (functional training), 15 minutes · code 97530 147 $18.14–$390.00 $137.28 $92.80
Balance and coordination training Neuromuscular re-education, 15 minutes · code 97112 146 $16.66–$401.00 $127.40 $93.72
Occupational therapy evaluation Occupational therapy evaluation, low complexity · code 97165 135 $52.35–$735.38 $260.00 $204.78
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 Physical therapy, 15 min prices in California

Physical therapy cost by metro area in California

Physical therapy cost in other states

Paying cash: what to do

  • Ask how many units and which codes a typical visit bills, then multiply the per-unit prices in the table.
  • Ask independent physical therapy practices for a flat per-visit cash rate; many offer one.
  • Compare a hospital-based therapy clinic with an independent practice, since hospital outpatient prices are often higher for the same codes.