Skull X-ray cost in San Francisco, CA — inpatient
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 23 hospitals list a cash price for skull X-ray, fewer than 4 views as an inpatient: from $257.36 to $967.00, with a median of $683.20. The lowest listed price is at St. Rose Hospital — $425.84 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $424.20 at 210 hospitals.
Cash prices at 23 facilities across 16 cities for code 70250, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 23, 2026 and Apr 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Rose Hospital lowest Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 XR SKULL <4V | $257.36 | $857.85 | $600.50–$660.54 | 70% | Feb 23, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Xr Skull <4v | $548.80 | $1,372.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sequoia Hospital Redwood City, CA · (650) 369-5811 XR SKULL <4 VIEWS | $549.28 | $1,509.00 | $648.87–$18,346.00 | 64% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 RADIOLOGIC EXAMINATION SKULL 4< VIEWS | $683.20 | $1,220.00 | $142.00–$445.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Novato Community Hospital Novato, CA · (415) 209-1300 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sutter Delta Medical Center Antioch, CA · (925) 779-7200 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center Oakland, CA · (510) 655-4000 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| California Pacific Medical Ctr-Davies Campus Hospital San Francisco, CA · (415) 600-6000 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Eden Medical Center Castro Valley, CA · (510) 537-1234 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Camp Berkeley, CA · (510) 204-4444 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| California Pacific Medical Center- Van Ness Campus San Francisco, CA · (415) 600-6000 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Herrick Campus Berkeley, CA · (510) 204-4444 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center-Summit Campus-Hawthorne Oakland, CA · (510) 655-4000 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mills-Peninsula Medical Center Burlingame, CA · (650) 696-5400 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mills Health Center San Mateo, CA · (650) 696-5400 HCHG XR SKULL LESS 4 VIEW | $967.00 | $967.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $257.36, median $683.20, highest $967.00 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 23 facilities here, median $683.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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
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.