ALT liver test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for ALT (alanine aminotransferase) liver enzyme test as an inpatient: from $21.32 to $106.81, with a median of $52.50. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion and 2 other hospitals — $31.18 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $43.12 at 103 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 84460, 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 - Zion lowest San Diego, CA TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO ALT SGPT | $21.32 | $41.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO ALT SGPT | $21.32 | $41.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO ALT SGPT | $21.32 | $41.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA Liver Enzyme (Sgpt), Level | $30.25 | $55.00 | $5.30–$74.25 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Scripps Nicu-Alt (Sgpt) | $34.50 | $46.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Scrlj-Alt (Sgpt) | $34.50 | $46.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Scrmer Hc-Alt (Sgpt) | $34.50 | $46.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Scrmer Cv-Alt (Sgpt) | $34.50 | $46.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Sgpt Enzyme | $47.25 | $63.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rsp Alt-Aminotransferase Test | $55.50 | $74.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Lab-Sgpt Enzyme | $65.25 | $87.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grossmont Hospital Corporation La Mesa, CA HC TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO (ALT) (SGPT) - ALT (SGPT) | $70.50 | $94.00 | $27.92–$75.20 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA HC TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO (ALT) (SGPT) - ALT (SGPT) | $70.50 | $94.00 | $14.10–$92.12 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA HC TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO (ALT) (SGPT) - ALT (SGPT) | $70.50 | $94.00 | $5.94–$92.12 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA HC TRANSFERASE ALANINE AMINO (ALT) (SGPT) - ALT (SGPT) | $70.50 | $94.00 | $27.92–$2,324.22 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Lab-Body Fluid Sgpt | $92.25 | $123.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA Rch Lab-Sgpt (Alt) | $99.00 | $132.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA Alanine aminotransferase | $106.81 | $178.02 | $124.61–$138.68 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $21.32, median $52.50, highest $106.81 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $34.50 — 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
ALT is a liver enzyme. A high level in the blood is a sign of liver cell injury from causes such as fatty liver, hepatitis, alcohol or medicines.
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 84460 ($36.75). 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, CAALT (SGPT) LC | $2.48 | file |