Skull X-ray cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 18 hospitals list a cash price for skull X-ray, fewer than 4 views: from $97.77 to $527.25, with a median of $353.60. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista and 4 other hospitals — $255.83 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $427.43 at 209 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 11 cities for code 70250, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Skull Under 4vw File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $97.77 | $391.10 | $31.29–$336.16 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Skull Under 4vw File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $97.77 | $391.10 | $31.29–$336.16 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Skull Under 4vw File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $97.77 | $391.10 | $31.29–$336.16 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Skull Under 4vw File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $97.77 | $391.10 | $31.29–$336.16 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Skull Under 4vw File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $97.77 | $391.10 | $31.29–$336.16 | 75% |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 SKULL <4VWS File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $133.00 | $622.16 | $24.60–$622.16 | 79% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrlj-Skull Under 4Vw+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $139.50 | $186.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Xr Skull < 4 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $292.50 | $390.00 | — | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 X-Ray Of Skull, Less Than 4 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $333.30 | $606.00 | $30.98–$818.10 | 45% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS source file | $353.60 | $680.00 | $96.00–$285.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS source file | $353.60 | $680.00 | $96.00–$285.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS source file | $353.60 | $680.00 | $96.00–$285.00 | 48% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 DI Shunt Series+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $419.58 | $699.30 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA DI Skull 1-3 views+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $419.58 | $699.30 | — | 40% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 XR Shunt Series+1 more line at this price File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $511.09 | $851.81 | $26.24–$672.08 | 40% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC X-RAY SKULL <4 VW - XR SKULL 1-3 VIEWS source file | $527.25 | $703.00 | $1.15–$688.94 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC X-RAY SKULL <4 VW - XR SKULL 1-3 VIEWS source file | $527.25 | $703.00 | $1.15–$576.46 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC X-RAY SKULL <4 VW - XR SKULL 1-3 VIEWS source file | $527.25 | $703.00 | $44.43–$562.40 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC X-RAY SKULL <4 VW - XR SKULL 1-3 VIEWS source file | $527.25 | $703.00 | $1.00–$632.70 | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Xry-Skull-1 View File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $601.50 | $802.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Xry-Skull 2 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $692.25 | $923.00 | — | 25% |
Outpatient: lowest $97.77, median $353.60, highest $527.25 — a 5.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $353.60. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 12 of 15 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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
A skull X-ray takes up to three pictures of the bones of the head. It is used less often than before, because a head CT (70450) shows the brain and skull better after an injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.