AST liver test cost in Santa Maria, CA — inpatient
In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test as an inpatient: from $7.28 to $7.28, with a median of $7.28. 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dignity Health lowest Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 RL-A-FIBRO V 2005661A | $7.28 | $17.00 | $10.71–$16.66 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Health Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 RL-A-FIBRO NAFL 2012521A | $13.19 | $30.80 | $19.41–$30.19 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Health Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 RL-LA-NASHFIBSURE 550960H | $17.60 | $41.10 | $25.90–$40.28 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Health Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 RL-A-LBCORP FIBRO 550180H | $18.88 | $44.11 | $27.79–$43.23 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Dignity Health Santa Maria, CA · (805) 739-3100 AST/SGOT | $167.35 | $391.00 | $246.33–$383.18 | 57% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $7.28, median $7.28, highest $7.28.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $6.42 — 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 and 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
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 ($42.00). 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.
| Dignity Health Santa Maria, CARL-A-AST 20007 | $3.03 | file |