Ferritin test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for ferritin blood test (iron stores) as an inpatient: from $77.48 to $168.29, with a median of $108.75. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa and 2 other hospitals — $31.27 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $87.65 at 102 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 82728, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA ASSAY OF FERRITIN | $77.48 | $149.00 | $10.00–$30.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA ASSAY OF FERRITIN | $77.48 | $149.00 | $10.00–$30.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ASSAY OF FERRITIN | $77.48 | $149.00 | $10.00–$30.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu Ferritin | $89.25 | $119.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ASSAY OF FERRITIN - FERRITIN | $108.75 | $145.00 | $21.75–$116.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ASSAY OF FERRITIN - FERRITIN | $108.75 | $145.00 | $20.30–$142.10 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ASSAY OF FERRITIN - FERRITIN | $108.75 | $145.00 | $9.16–$142.10 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ASSAY OF FERRITIN - FERRITIN | $108.75 | $145.00 | $21.75–$118.90 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Ferritin 301 | $145.50 | $194.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Ferritin | $145.50 | $194.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Hc-Ferritin | $145.50 | $194.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Cv-Ferritin | $145.50 | $194.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ferritin | $145.50 | $194.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Ferritin (Blood Protein) Level | $153.45 | $279.00 | $13.63–$376.65 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Ferritin | $168.29 | $280.49 | $196.34–$218.50 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Liv-Ferritin | $220.50 | $294.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Ferritin | $236.25 | $315.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $77.48, median $108.75, highest $168.29 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $108.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 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 ferritin test measures a protein that stores iron, and its level reflects how much iron the body has in reserve. It is used to look for iron deficiency or iron overload, often together with a blood count.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the ferritin test only. The blood draw is often billed separately, and other iron tests, such as serum iron and iron-binding capacity, have their own codes.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 82728 ($80.00). 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.
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CAFerritin LC | $3.73 | file |