PET/CT scan cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 9 hospitals list a cash price for PET/CT scan from the base of the skull to mid-thigh as an inpatient: from $4,711.20 to $9,915.40, with a median of $8,382.75. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion and 2 other hospitals — $3,671.55 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $6,342.00 at 69 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 5 cities for code 78815, 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.
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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA PET IMAGING CT ATTENUATION SKULL BASE MID-THIGH | $4,711.20 | $9,060.00 | $1,325.00–$3,940.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA PET IMAGING CT ATTENUATION SKULL BASE MID-THIGH | $4,711.20 | $9,060.00 | $1,325.00–$3,940.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 PET IMAGING CT ATTENUATION SKULL BASE MID-THIGH | $4,711.20 | $9,060.00 | $1,325.00–$3,940.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC PET IMAGE W/CT SKULL-THIGH - PT/CT BONE SKULL BASE TO MID THIGH | $8,382.75 | $11,177.00 | $1,564.78–$10,059.30 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC PET IMAGE W/CT SKULL-THIGH - PT/CT BONE SKULL BASE TO MID THIGH | $8,382.75 | $11,177.00 | $3,129.56–$10,059.30 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC PET IMAGE W/CT SKULL-THIGH - PT/CT BONE SKULL BASE TO MID THIGH | $8,382.75 | $11,177.00 | $706.39–$10,953.46 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC PET IMAGE W/CT SKULL-THIGH - PT/CT BONE SKULL BASE TO MID THIGH | $8,382.75 | $11,177.00 | $3,319.57–$10,059.30 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Smh-Petct Skull To Thi Initia | $8,412.00 | $11,216.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Nuclear Medicine Study With Ct Imaging Skull Base To Mid-Thigh | $9,915.40 | $18,028.00 | $1,375.54–$24,337.80 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $4,711.20, median $8,382.75, highest $9,915.40 — a 2.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $8,382.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 8 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 PET/CT scan combines a PET scan, which shows how active cells are after a tracer is injected, with a CT scan that shows anatomy. This code covers the usual area from the base of the skull to mid-thigh. It is mostly used to find, stage and follow cancer.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the combined scan. The radioactive tracer is often billed separately, as is the radiologist's or nuclear medicine doctor's reading.