TB blood test (IGRA) cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for TB blood test measuring immune response (IGRA, gamma interferon): from $31.50 to $136.50, with a median of $78.86. The lowest listed price is at Sharp Memorial Hospital and 3 other hospitals — $47.36 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $96.72 at 88 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 86480, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharp Memorial Hospital lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC TB TEST CELL IMMUN MEASUR | $31.50 | $42.00 | $1.00–$33.60 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center lowest Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC TB TEST CELL IMMUN MEASUR | $31.50 | $42.00 | $11.76–$95.43 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital lowest La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC TB TEST CELL IMMUN MEASUR | $31.50 | $42.00 | $1.15–$31.50 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center lowest Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC TB TEST CELL IMMUN MEASUR | $31.50 | $42.00 | $1.00–$625.89 | 25% | — source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 QUANTIFERON CLIENT INCUBATED | $61.00 | $357.93 | $21.00–$357.93 | 83% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 TB GAM INTERF AG MEAS 7.1-SMH | $61.00 | $70.00 | $21.00–$357.93 | 13% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA TB CELL MEDIATED ANTIGN RESPNSE GAMMA INTERFERON | $96.72 | $186.00 | $42.00–$125.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA TB CELL MEDIATED ANTIGN RESPNSE GAMMA INTERFERON | $96.72 | $186.00 | $42.00–$125.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 TB CELL MEDIATED ANTIGN RESPNSE GAMMA INTERFERON | $96.72 | $186.00 | $42.00–$125.00 | 48% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Tuberculosis Test | $124.85 | $227.00 | $27.24–$306.45 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Tb Test Cell Mediated Imm | $136.50 | $182.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC TB TEST CELL MEDIATED IMM | $202.50 | $270.00 | $1.00–$264.60 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC TB TEST CELL MEDIATED IMM | $202.50 | $270.00 | $1.00–$1,185.44 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC TB TEST CELL MEDIATED IMM | $202.50 | $270.00 | $40.50–$23,955.20 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC TB TEST CELL MEDIATED IMM | $202.50 | $270.00 | $1.00–$264.60 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Tb Test Cell Mediated Immunit | $450.75 | $601.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $31.50, median $78.86, highest $136.50 — a 4.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $96.72. 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 8 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 it is
This blood test, known as an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), such as QuantiFERON, checks whether the immune system reacts to tuberculosis proteins. It is used to screen for TB infection, often for work, school or immigration, and replaces the skin test for many people.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the lab test only. The blood draw is often billed separately, and a chest X-ray after a positive result has its own charge.