HIDA scan cost in San Luis Obispo, CA — inpatient
In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for HIDA scan: nuclear imaging of the liver, bile ducts and gallbladder as an inpatient: from $1,229.32 to $1,229.32, with a median of $1,229.32. Across California, the median is $1,534.00 at 148 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 78226, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Feb 28, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dignity Community Care San Luis Obispo, CA · (805) 543-5353 NM HEPATOBILIARY SYSTEM | $1,229.32 | $3,136.00 | $846.72–$3,073.28 | 61% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,229.32, median $1,229.32, highest $1,229.32.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $517.05 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 HIDA scan follows a radioactive tracer as the liver takes it up and releases it into the bile ducts, gallbladder and bowel. It is used to look for gallbladder inflammation, a blocked bile duct or a bile leak.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the imaging. The tracer and the reading by a radiologist or nuclear medicine doctor are often billed separately. A scan that also measures how well the gallbladder empties after a medicine is given is billed under a different code (78227).