Blood culture cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria as an inpatient: from $67.50 to $316.50, with a median of $279.76. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $212.26 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $272.16 at 94 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 87040, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scren-Cultureblood | $67.50 | $90.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Cultureblood | $67.50 | $90.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Bacterial Blood Culture | $112.20 | $204.00 | $10.32–$275.40 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Culture, Blood Aerobic | $131.25 | $175.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Culture, Blood 306 | $131.25 | $175.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Ard Blood Culture | $131.25 | $175.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Body Fluid Culture | $206.17 | $343.62 | $240.53–$267.68 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Blood Culture Isolator | $256.50 | $342.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Brucella Blood Culture | $265.17 | $441.95 | $309.37–$344.28 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Blood Unit Culture | $265.17 | $441.95 | $309.37–$344.28 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 CULTURE BACTERIAL BLOOD AEROBIC W/ID ISOLATES | $279.76 | $538.00 | $7.00–$20.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA CULTURE BACTERIAL BLOOD AEROBIC W/ID ISOLATES | $279.76 | $538.00 | $7.00–$20.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 CULTURE BACTERIAL BLOOD AEROBIC W/ID ISOLATES | $279.76 | $538.00 | $7.00–$20.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Blood Culture | $287.25 | $383.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Lab-Blood Cult Anaerobic | $287.25 | $383.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $316.50 | $422.00 | $26.67–$379.80 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $316.50 | $422.00 | $125.33–$413.56 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $316.50 | $422.00 | $26.67–$337.60 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $316.50 | $422.00 | $63.30–$413.56 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Culture Blood | $378.75 | $505.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $67.50, median $279.76, highest $316.50 — a 4.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $279.76 — 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
A blood culture checks for bacteria or yeast in the blood. It is ordered for fever with signs of a serious infection, such as sepsis.
What the price covers
The price is usually for one culture set. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.