Hemoglobin test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 15 hospitals list a cash price for hemoglobin blood test as an inpatient: from $3.17 to $50.96, with a median of $29.25. The lowest listed price is at Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego and 4 other hospitals — $26.08 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $40.32 at 189 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 8 cities for code 85018, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 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 Mercy Hospital San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Hemoglobin File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $3.17 | $12.67 | $1.01–$10.14 | 75% |
| Scripps Green Hospital lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 554-3600 HC Hemoglobin File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $3.17 | $12.67 | $1.01–$10.14 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla lowest La Jolla, CA · (858) 626-4123 HC Hemoglobin File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $3.17 | $12.67 | $1.01–$10.14 | 75% |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 294-8111 HC Hemoglobin File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $3.17 | $12.67 | $1.01–$10.14 | 75% |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas lowest Encinitas, CA · (760) 753-6501 HC Hemoglobin File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $3.17 | $12.67 | $1.01–$10.14 | 75% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrlj-Hemoglobin+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $15.75 | $21.00 | — | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Hemoglobin Measurement File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $18.70 | $34.00 | $2.37–$45.90 | 45% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC HEMOGLOBIN - HEMOGLOBIN source file | $29.25 | $39.00 | $5.85–$31.20 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC HEMOGLOBIN - HEMOGLOBIN source file | $29.25 | $39.00 | $10.92–$38.22 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC HEMOGLOBIN - HEMOGLOBIN source file | $29.25 | $39.00 | $1.61–$31.20 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC HEMOGLOBIN - HEMOGLOBIN source file | $29.25 | $39.00 | $5.46–$13,297.25 | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 85018 Hb File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $40.37 | $67.28 | $47.10–$52.41 | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Hemoglobin 300+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $44.25 | $59.00 | — | 25% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 BLOOD COUNT HEMOGLOBIN source file | $50.96 | $98.00 | $2.00–$5.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 BLOOD COUNT HEMOGLOBIN source file | $50.96 | $98.00 | $2.00–$5.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 BLOOD COUNT HEMOGLOBIN source file | $50.96 | $98.00 | $2.00–$5.00 | 48% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Hemoglobin+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $66.75 | $89.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Hc-Hemoglobin+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $108.75 | $145.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Hemoglobin File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $139.50 | $186.00 | — | 25% |
Inpatient: lowest $3.17, median $29.25, highest $50.96 — a 16.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $29.25 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 14 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 hemoglobin test measures the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. It is used to check for anemia or bleeding and to follow treatment.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 85018 ($24.00). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CAHemoglobin A2 (Quant) (Q35489) | $1.80 | file |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CAHemoglobin A2 (Quant) (Q35489) | $1.80 | file |