Ammonia test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 17 hospitals list a cash price for ammonia blood test as an inpatient: from $18.29 to $180.96, with a median of $74.25. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego and 4 other hospitals — $55.96 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $180.96 at 203 hospitals.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 10 cities for code 82140, 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 Ammonia File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $18.29 | $73.15 | $5.85–$58.52 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Ammonia File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $18.29 | $73.15 | $5.85–$58.52 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Ammonia File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $18.29 | $73.15 | $5.85–$58.52 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Ammonia File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $18.29 | $73.15 | $5.85–$58.52 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Ammonia File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $18.29 | $73.15 | $5.85–$58.52 | 75% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Ammonia Level File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $64.35 | $117.00 | $14.04–$157.95 | 45% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Ammonia Level File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $66.72 | $111.20 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Ammonia Level File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $66.72 | $111.20 | — | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Laboratory-Chemistry+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $74.25 | $99.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scren-Ammonia+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $95.25 | $127.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Ammonia 301 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $100.50 | $134.00 | — | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ASSAY OF AMMONIA - AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $120.75 | $161.00 | $24.15–$157.78 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ASSAY OF AMMONIA - AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $120.75 | $161.00 | $24.15–$144.90 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ASSAY OF AMMONIA - AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $120.75 | $161.00 | $54.74–$1,853.28 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ASSAY OF AMMONIA - AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $120.75 | $161.00 | $45.08–$144.90 | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Ammonia Level File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $122.34 | $203.90 | $142.73–$158.84 | 40% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ASSAY OF AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $180.96 | $348.00 | $10.00–$30.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ASSAY OF AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $180.96 | $348.00 | $10.00–$30.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ASSAY OF AMMONIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $180.96 | $348.00 | $10.00–$30.00 | 48% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Urine Ammonia+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $200.25 | $267.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Ammonia Blood File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $214.50 | $286.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ammonia Blood File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $294.75 | $393.00 | — | 25% |
Inpatient: lowest $18.29, median $74.25, highest $180.96 — a 9.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 18 facilities here, median $70.49 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 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 ammonia test measures ammonia in the blood. It is used for confusion or drowsiness in people with liver disease and for some rare inherited disorders in newborns.
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 82140 ($90.00). 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, CAAmmonia LC | $4.97 | file |