Blood transfusion cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for blood transfusion (giving blood or blood components) as an inpatient: from $585.00 to $2,233.55, with a median of $873.60. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $288.60 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $892.68 at 93 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 36430, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Transfusion Blood/Products | $585.00 | $780.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Transfusion Intermediate <2Hrs | $833.25 | $1,111.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 TRANSFUSION BLOOD/BLOOD COMPONENTS | $873.60 | $1,680.00 | $434.00–$1,290.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 TRANSFUSION BLOOD/BLOOD COMPONENTS | $873.60 | $1,680.00 | $434.00–$1,290.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA TRANSFUSION BLOOD/BLOOD COMPONENTS | $873.60 | $1,680.00 | $434.00–$1,290.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Transfusion Complex (2-3 Hrs) | $1,581.00 | $2,108.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Transfusion Complex (2-3Hr) | $1,660.50 | $2,214.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu - Transfusion Serv 1-4 Hrs | $1,898.25 | $2,531.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 TRANSFUSE Red Blood Cells Leukoreduced (Bridge) | $2,035.64 | $3,392.73 | $2,374.91–$2,642.94 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 36430 BLOOD TRANSFUSION SERVICE TechFee | $2,035.64 | $3,392.73 | $2,374.91–$2,642.94 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 36430 OP BLOOD ADMINISTRATION CHARGE | $2,035.64 | $3,392.73 | $2,374.91–$2,642.94 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Administration of Blood (Bridge) | $2,035.64 | $3,392.73 | $2,374.91–$2,642.94 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Transfusion Of Blood Or Blood Products | $2,233.55 | $4,061.00 | $42.78–$5,482.35 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Cell Saver Service | $2,233.55 | $4,061.00 | $42.78–$5,482.35 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Transfusion Complex Mdr 4-5Hrs | $3,312.75 | $4,417.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Transfusion Complex Extd>6Hrs | $4,138.50 | $5,518.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $585.00, median $873.60, highest $2,233.55 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $873.60 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This code covers giving a transfusion of blood or blood components such as red cells or platelets.
What the price covers
The price is for giving the transfusion. The blood itself, typing and crossmatching are billed separately.