AST liver test cost in San Luis Obispo, CA — inpatient
In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test as an inpatient: from $6.67 to $6.67, with a median of $6.67. Across California, the median is $44.10 at 161 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 84450, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Feb 28, 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dignity Community Care lowest San Luis Obispo, CA · (805) 543-5353 RL-A-FIBRO V 2005661A | $6.67 | $17.00 | $4.59–$16.66 | 61% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Community Care San Luis Obispo, CA · (805) 543-5353 RL-A-FIBRO NAFL 2012521A | $12.08 | $30.80 | $8.32–$30.19 | 61% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Community Care San Luis Obispo, CA · (805) 543-5353 RL-LA-NASHFIBSURE 550960H | $16.12 | $41.10 | $11.10–$40.28 | 61% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Community Care San Luis Obispo, CA · (805) 543-5353 RL-A-LBCORP FIBRO 550180H | $17.30 | $44.11 | $11.91–$43.23 | 61% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Community Care San Luis Obispo, CA · (805) 543-5353 AST/SGOT | $159.16 | $406.00 | $109.62–$397.88 | 61% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $6.67, median $6.67, highest $6.67.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $5.88 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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
AST is an enzyme found in the liver, muscles and heart. It is measured together with ALT to look for liver injury, and the ratio between them gives clues to the cause.
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 84450 ($44.10). 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.
| Dignity Community Care San Luis Obispo, CARL-A-AST 20007 | $2.78 | file |