Allergy blood test cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for allergy blood test, specific IgE, per allergen: from $2.34 to $8.32, with a median of $3.00. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $0.66 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $5.00 at 194 hospitals.
- The median here, $3.00, is 86% below the US median of $21.60.
- That is 0.6× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($5.22).
- San Diego, CA has the lowest median of 5 metro areas in California with at least 10 hospitals pricing this code.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 86003, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Measurement of antibody (IgE) to allergic substance+7 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2.34 | $4.25 | $0.51–$16.64 | 45% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ALLERGEN SPECIFIC IGE QT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2.81 | $3.75 | $1.10–$3.07 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ALLERGEN SPECIFIC IGE QT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2.81 | $3.75 | $0.24–$439.13 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ALLERGEN SPECIFIC IGE QT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2.81 | $3.75 | $1.11–$3.67 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ALLERGEN SPECIFIC IGE QT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $2.81 | $3.75 | $0.56–$3.00 | 25% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Allergen NP Almond+4 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.00 | $5.00 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Allergen NP Coconut+4 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.00 | $5.00 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Q Allergen Apricot IgE (Q2563)+175 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.35 | $5.58 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Q Allergen Wormwood IgE (Q2405)+175 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.35 | $5.58 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 White mulberry IgE Qn+25 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.40 | $5.66 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Cat Dander IgE Qn+25 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.40 | $5.66 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Q Allergen Cacao (Chocolate) IgE (Q+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.47 | $5.78 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Q Allergen Cacao (Chocolate) IgE (Q+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.47 | $5.78 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Allergen PP1 Egg White File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.60 | $6.00 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Allergen PP1 Egg White File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.60 | $6.00 | — | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Allergen Specific Ige Qt Ea File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $3.75 | $5.00 | — | 25% |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PN SA SUM GR,ALRG IGE EA+65 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $5.00 | $5.22 | $1.29–$221.25 | 4% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Q Allergen Casein/Cow Milk IgG (Q38 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $6.36 | $10.60 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Q Allergen Casein/Cow Milk IgG (Q38 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $6.36 | $10.60 | — | 40% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ALLERGEN SPEC IGE CRUDE ALLERGEN EXTRACT EACH File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $8.32 | $16.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ALLERGEN SPEC IGE CRUDE ALLERGEN EXTRACT EACH File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $8.32 | $16.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ALLERGEN SPEC IGE CRUDE ALLERGEN EXTRACT EACH File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $8.32 | $16.00 | $3.00–$10.00 | 48% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Q Allergen Stemphylium Solani IgE ( File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $19.33 | $32.22 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Q Allergen Stemphylium Solani IgE ( File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $19.33 | $32.22 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Q Allergen Tilapia IgE (Q10724X) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $22.88 | $38.13 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Q Allergen Tilapia IgE (Q10724X) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $22.88 | $38.13 | — | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Allrgn Western Ragweed+35 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $33.00 | $44.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Allrgn Tuna+15 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.75 | $49.00 | — | 25% |
Outpatient: lowest $2.34, median $3.00, highest $8.32 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $3.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 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 none is it 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 allergy blood test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Allergy blood test explained.