Electrolyte panel cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 17 hospitals list a cash price for electrolyte panel (sodium, potassium, chloride, CO2) as an inpatient: from $17.49 to $238.46, with a median of $45.75. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego and 4 other hospitals — $28.26 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $87.25 at 197 hospitals.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 10 cities for code 80051, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 30, 2026 and May 29, 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 San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Electrolytes+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $17.49 | $69.98 | $5.60–$55.98 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Electrolytes/Wb+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $17.49 | $69.98 | $5.60–$55.98 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Electrolytes/Wb+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $17.49 | $69.98 | $5.60–$55.98 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Electrolytes/Wb+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $17.49 | $69.98 | $5.60–$55.98 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Electrolytes/Wb+1 more line at this price File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $17.49 | $69.98 | $5.60–$55.98 | 75% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Blood Test Panel For Electrolytes (Sodium Potassium, Chloride, Carbon Dioxide) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $39.60 | $72.00 | $7.01–$97.20 | 45% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Electrolyte Panel File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $41.27 | $68.78 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Electrolyte Panel File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $41.27 | $68.78 | — | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Electrolyteswb File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $45.75 | $61.00 | — | 25% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ELECTROLYTE PANEL source file | $84.24 | $162.00 | $5.00–$15.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ELECTROLYTE PANEL source file | $84.24 | $162.00 | $5.00–$15.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ELECTROLYTE PANEL source file | $84.24 | $162.00 | $5.00–$15.00 | 48% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ELECTROLYTE PANEL - BUNDLED CHARGE source file | $107.25 | $143.00 | $21.45–$140.14 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ELECTROLYTE PANEL - BUNDLED CHARGE source file | $107.25 | $143.00 | $20.02–$100.10 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ELECTROLYTE PANEL - BUNDLED CHARGE source file | $107.25 | $143.00 | $21.45–$114.40 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ELECTROLYTE PANEL - BUNDLED CHARGE source file | $107.25 | $143.00 | $40.04–$110.11 | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Electrolytes+8 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $137.25 | $183.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Ama Electrolyte Panel File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $165.75 | $221.00 | — | 25% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Venous Electrolytes (ABL) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $169.90 | $283.16 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Venous Electrolytes (ABL) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $169.90 | $283.16 | — | 40% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Electrolyte Panel File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $238.46 | $397.44 | $278.21–$309.61 | 40% |
Inpatient: lowest $17.49, median $45.75, highest $238.46 — a 13.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $45.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 14 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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
An electrolyte panel measures sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate (CO2) in one blood sample. It checks fluid and acid balance in people with vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems or on diuretics.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 80051 ($79.15). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Hospital | Cash price | File |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CAElectrolyte Panel LC | $2.48 | file |