Hepatitis B core antibody cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis B core antibody test (total): from $9.54 to $129.17, with a median of $83.25. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $73.71 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $41.75 at 172 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 7 cities for code 86704, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Hepatitis B core antibody measurement File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $9.54 | $17.35 | $2.08–$38.41 | 45% |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HEP B CORE AB TOTAL File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $12.00 | $60.25 | $12.05–$60.25 | 80% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY HBCAB TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $23.92 | $46.00 | $8.00–$25.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY HBCAB TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $23.92 | $46.00 | $8.00–$25.00 | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY HBCAB TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $23.92 | $46.00 | $8.00–$25.00 | 48% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrlj-Hepatitis B Core Ab Total+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $83.25 | $111.00 | — | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC HEP B CORE AB TEST TOTAL - HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $83.25 | $111.00 | $1.15–$108.78 | 25% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC HEP B CORE AB TEST TOTAL - HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $83.25 | $111.00 | $16.65–$1,220.49 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC HEP B CORE AB TEST TOTAL - HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $83.25 | $111.00 | $0.09–$91.02 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC HEP B CORE AB TEST TOTAL - HEPATITIS B CORE ANTIBODY TOTAL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $83.25 | $111.00 | $1.00–$88.80 | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Smh Hep B Core Ab Poly File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $87.75 | $117.00 | — | 25% |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Hepatitis B Core Antibody Total IgG and IgM File of May 29, 2026 · source file | $129.17 | $215.28 | $10.54–$169.86 | 40% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Hep B Core Ab, Total File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $132.75 | $177.00 | — | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Hepatitis B Core Antibody Measurement File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $155.65 | $283.00 | $12.05–$382.05 | 45% |
Outpatient: lowest $9.54, median $83.25, highest $129.17 — a 13.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $83.25. 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 10 of 10 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 hepatitis B core antibody test shows whether a person has ever been infected with hepatitis B. It is part of hepatitis B screening together with the surface antigen and surface antibody tests.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
3 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 86704 ($66.60). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CAHep B Core Ab, Tot LC | $3.73 | file |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CAHepatitis B Core Antibody Total (Q5 | $5.79 | file |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CAHepatitis B Core Antibody Total (Q5 | $5.79 | file |