Total cholesterol test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for total cholesterol blood test as an inpatient: from $6.26 to $106.81, with a median of $22.70. The lowest listed price is at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center and 3 other hospitals — $16.44 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $44.10 at 205 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 82465, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center lowest Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC CHOLESTEROL source file | $6.26 | $8.35 | $1.17–$8.18 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center lowest Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC CHOLESTEROL source file | $6.26 | $8.35 | $1.25–$8.18 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital lowest La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC CHOLESTEROL source file | $6.26 | $8.35 | $0.53–$1,231.07 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC CHOLESTEROL source file | $6.26 | $8.35 | $1.25–$5.85 | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Cholesterol Level File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $16.50 | $30.00 | $3.60–$40.50 | 45% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Cholesterol Blood File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $22.70 | $37.83 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Cholesterol Blood File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $22.70 | $37.83 | — | 40% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ASSAY BLD/SERUM CHOLESTEROL - CHOLESTEROL TOTAL source file | $39.75 | $53.00 | $7.95–$39.75 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ASSAY BLD/SERUM CHOLESTEROL - CHOLESTEROL TOTAL source file | $39.75 | $53.00 | $15.74–$42.40 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ASSAY BLD/SERUM CHOLESTEROL - CHOLESTEROL TOTAL source file | $39.75 | $53.00 | $15.74–$735.00 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ASSAY BLD/SERUM CHOLESTEROL - CHOLESTEROL TOTAL source file | $39.75 | $53.00 | $7.95–$51.94 | 25% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 CHOLESTEROL SERUM/WHOLE BLOOD TOTAL source file | $45.24 | $87.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 CHOLESTEROL SERUM/WHOLE BLOOD TOTAL source file | $45.24 | $87.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 CHOLESTEROL SERUM/WHOLE BLOOD TOTAL source file | $45.24 | $87.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Cholesterol, Body Fluid 301+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $58.50 | $78.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Body Fluid Cholesterol+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $90.00 | $120.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Cholesterol File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $96.00 | $128.00 | — | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Cholesterol Total File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $106.81 | $178.02 | $124.61–$138.68 | 40% |
Inpatient: lowest $6.26, median $22.70, highest $106.81 — a 17.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $22.70 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 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 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
A total cholesterol test measures all the cholesterol in the blood. It is part of a lipid panel, which also gives HDL, LDL and triglycerides.
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 82465 ($37.49). 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, CACholesterol, Total LC | $2.48 | file |