Scans and imaging CPT 77081 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Peripheral bone density scan cost in San Francisco, CA — inpatient

In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for DEXA bone density scan of the wrist, heel or finger (peripheral) as an inpatient: from $276.64 to $375.60, with a median of $276.64. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco and 8 other hospitals. Across California, the median is $276.64 at 75 hospitals.

Cash prices at 10 facilities across 10 cities for code 77081, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$276.64Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco + 8 more
Median$276.64half pay less
Highest$375.60in this market
Difference1.4×highest vs lowest

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.

median
Lowest $276.64Highest $375.60

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco lowest South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco lowest San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond lowest Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek lowest Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont lowest Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City lowest Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael lowest San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch lowest Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro lowest San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 DXA BONE DENSITY STUDY 1/>SITES APPENDICLR SKEL $276.64 $494.00 $118.00–$370.00 44% —
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Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Bone Density2 Appendicula $375.60 $939.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $276.64, median $276.64, highest $375.60 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $276.64 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 9 of 9 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 code covers a bone density test of the wrist, heel or finger, used for screening when a hip and spine scan is not available.

What the price covers

The price covers the scan and the reading.