Total T4 test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for total thyroxine (T4) blood test as an inpatient: from $8.64 to $114.26, with a median of $24.96. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Green Hospital and 4 other hospitals — $16.32 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $39.20 at 185 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 7 cities for code 84436, 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 Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Thyroxintotal File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $8.64 | $34.56 | $2.76–$27.65 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Thyroxintotal File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $8.64 | $34.56 | $2.76–$27.65 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Thyroxintotal File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $8.64 | $34.56 | $2.76–$27.65 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Thyroxintotal File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $8.64 | $34.56 | $2.76–$27.65 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Thyroxintotal File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $8.64 | $34.56 | $2.76–$27.65 | 75% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ASSAY OF THYROXINE TOTAL source file | $24.96 | $48.00 | $5.00–$15.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ASSAY OF THYROXINE TOTAL source file | $24.96 | $48.00 | $5.00–$15.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ASSAY OF THYROXINE TOTAL source file | $24.96 | $48.00 | $5.00–$15.00 | 48% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Hc-Thyroxin Toal+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.75 | $49.00 | — | 25% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Thyroxine Level Total File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $41.96 | $69.93 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Thyroxine Level Total File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $41.96 | $69.93 | — | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Thyroxintotal+6 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $71.25 | $95.00 | — | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Thyroxine (Thyroid Chemical) Measurement File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $99.00 | $180.00 | $6.87–$243.00 | 45% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Liv-Thyroxine Total; T4 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $108.00 | $144.00 | — | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 T4 Total File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $114.26 | $190.44 | $133.31–$148.35 | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-T-4 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $115.50 | $154.00 | — | 25% |
Inpatient: lowest $8.64, median $24.96, highest $114.26 — a 13.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $24.96 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 10 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 T4 test measures all the thyroxine hormone in the blood, both bound and free. Most doctors now order free T4 (84439) instead, which is less affected by pregnancy and medicines.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
5 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 84436 ($52.00). 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, CAThyroxine (T4) LC | $2.48 | file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CAHC ASSAY OF TOTAL THYROXINE - T4 (THYROID HORMONE) | $4.13 | file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CAHC ASSAY OF TOTAL THYROXINE - T4 (THYROID HORMONE) | $4.13 | file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CAHC ASSAY OF TOTAL THYROXINE - T4 (THYROID HORMONE) | $4.13 | file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CAHC ASSAY OF TOTAL THYROXINE - T4 (THYROID HORMONE) | $4.13 | file |