1-hour glucose test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for glucose challenge test (1-hour glucose after a sugar drink) as an inpatient: from $42.90 to $103.71, with a median of $52.00. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $9.10 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $44.37 at 93 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 82950, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA Blood Glucose (Sugar) Level After Receiving Dose Of Glucose | $42.90 | $78.00 | $4.75–$105.30 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA GLUCOSE POST GLUCOSE DOSE | $52.00 | $100.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA GLUCOSE POST GLUCOSE DOSE | $52.00 | $100.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA GLUCOSE POST GLUCOSE DOSE | $52.00 | $100.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Lab-Glucose Qt, Post Glu | $81.75 | $109.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA Glucose 2 Hour Post Prandial | $103.71 | $172.85 | $121.00–$134.65 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA Gestational Diabetes Screen (Glucose) | $106.81 | $178.02 | $124.61–$138.68 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $42.90, median $52.00, highest $103.71 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $52.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 5 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
The glucose challenge test measures blood sugar one hour after a sugar drink. It is the usual first screening test for gestational diabetes at 24 to 28 weeks of pregnancy.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.