Rib and chest X-ray cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 15 hospitals list a cash price for rib X-ray, one side, with a chest view, 3 or more views as an inpatient: from $352.08 to $718.10, with a median of $525.20. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista and 4 other hospitals — $173.12 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $616.00 at 177 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 cities for code 71101, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 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 Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista one side lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Ribs Unilateral W Pa Chest File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $352.08 | $1,408.32 | $34.54–$1,126.66 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital one side lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Ribs Unilateral W Pa Chest File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $352.08 | $1,408.32 | $34.54–$1,126.66 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas one side lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Ribs Unilateral W Pa Chest File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $352.08 | $1,408.32 | $34.54–$1,126.66 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla one side lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Ribs Unilateral W Pa Chest File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $352.08 | $1,408.32 | $34.54–$1,126.66 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego one side lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Ribs Unilateral W Pa Chest File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $352.08 | $1,408.32 | $34.54–$1,126.66 | 75% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 X-Ray Of Ribs With Chest Minimum Of 3 Views File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $400.95 | $729.00 | $33.78–$984.15 | 45% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 RADEX RIBS UNI W/POSTEROANT CH MINIMUM 3 VIEWS source file | $525.20 | $1,010.00 | $96.00–$285.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 RADEX RIBS UNI W/POSTEROANT CH MINIMUM 3 VIEWS source file | $525.20 | $1,010.00 | $96.00–$285.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 RADEX RIBS UNI W/POSTEROANT CH MINIMUM 3 VIEWS source file | $525.20 | $1,010.00 | $96.00–$285.00 | 48% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center one side Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC X-RAY RIBS CHEST 3+ VW - XR RIBS 2 VWS LT W/ CHEST ANTEROPOSTERIOR source file | $660.75 | $881.00 | $55.68–$594.68 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital one side La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC X-RAY RIBS CHEST 3+ VW - XR RIBS 2 VWS LT W/ CHEST ANTEROPOSTERIOR source file | $660.75 | $881.00 | $132.15–$704.80 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital one side San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC X-RAY RIBS CHEST 3+ VW - XR RIBS 2 VWS LT W/ CHEST ANTEROPOSTERIOR source file | $660.75 | $881.00 | $246.68–$704.80 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center one side Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC X-RAY RIBS CHEST 3+ VW - XR RIBS 2 VWS LT W/ CHEST ANTEROPOSTERIOR source file | $660.75 | $881.00 | $123.34–$863.38 | 25% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido one side Escondido, CA DI Ribs Left 2 views W/ 1 Vw Chest+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $718.10 | $1,196.84 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway one side Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 DI Ribs Left 2 views W/ 1 Vw Chest+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $718.10 | $1,196.84 | — | 40% |
Inpatient: lowest $352.08, median $525.20, highest $718.10 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $525.20 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 of 13 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
This study takes pictures of the ribs on one side plus a front view of the chest. The chest view checks the lungs for a collapsed lung or bleeding after a rib injury.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers taking the X-ray. The radiologist's reading is often billed separately.