Biopsy pathology exam cost in Sacramento, CA
In Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA, 14 hospitals list a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV): from $17.66 to $262.00, with a median of $122.00. The lowest listed price is at Methodist Hospital of Sacramento — $104.34 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $130.00 at 208 hospitals.
- The median here, $122.00, is 29% below the US median of $171.00.
- That is 2.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($53.24).
- Sacramento, CA ranks 3rd of 5 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- 5 of 14 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 8 cities for code 88305, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 30, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 19, 2026 and Sep 30, 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 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Hospital of Sacramento lowest Sacramento, CA · (916) 423-6010 RL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV RENAL File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $17.66 | $72.96 | $25.54–$105.65 | 76% |
| Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CA · (530) 662-3961 RL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV RENAL File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $18.46 | $72.96 | $8.03–$72.96 | 75% |
| Marshall Medical Center Placerville, CA · (530) 622-1441 HC TISSUE EXAM BY PATHOLOGIST File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $19.52 | $34.26 | $17.47–$341.54 | 43% |
| Marshall Medical Center Placerville, CA · (530) 622-1441 HC LVL IV - SURGICAL PATHOLOGY, GROSS/MICROSCP EXAM File of Feb 19, 2026 · source file | $22.69 | $39.82 | $20.31–$341.54 | 43% |
| Mercy Hospital of Folsom Folsom, CA · (916) 983-7400 RL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV RENAL File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $27.23 | $72.96 | $8.03–$105.65 | 63% |
| Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Auburn, CA · (530) 888-4500 HCHG REF CYTO CL BLK 5 CNT/1 KARY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $122.00 | $122.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento Sacramento, CA · (916) 454-2222 HCHG REF CYTO CL BLK 5 CNT/1 KARY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $122.00 | $122.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Roseville Medical Center Roseville, CA · (916) 781-1000 HCHG REF CYTO CL BLK 5 CNT/1 KARY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $122.00 | $122.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Davis Hospital Davis, CA · (530) 757-5108 HCHG REF CYTO CL BLK 5 CNT/1 KARY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $122.00 | $122.00 | — | — |
| Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CA · (916) 453-4453 GROSS MICRO LEVEL IV File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $181.29 | $982.00 | $40.99–$883.80 | 82% |
| Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CA · (916) 537-5000 GROSS MICRO LEVEL IV File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $221.19 | $982.00 | $40.99–$883.80 | 77% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Sacramento Sacramento, CA · (916) 973-5000 LEVEL IV SURG PATHOLOGY GROSS&MICROSCOPIC EXAM File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $229.60 | $410.00 | $57.00–$180.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Roseville Roseville, CA · (916) 784-4000 LEVEL IV SURG PATHOLOGY GROSS&MICROSCOPIC EXAM File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $229.60 | $410.00 | $57.00–$180.00 | 44% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South Sacramento Sacramento, CA · (916) 688-2000 LEVEL IV SURG PATHOLOGY GROSS&MICROSCOPIC EXAM File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $229.60 | $410.00 | $57.00–$180.00 | 44% |
| Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento, CA · (916) 423-6010 GROSS MICRO LEVEL IV File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $237.69 | $982.00 | $40.99–$815.06 | 76% |
| Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CA · (530) 662-3961 GROSS MICRO LEVEL IV File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $248.46 | $982.00 | $40.99–$982.00 | 75% |
| Shriners Childrens - Northern California Sacramento, CA · (916) 453-2000 TISSUE EXAM BY PATHOLOGIST File of Mar 19, 2026 · source file | $262.00 | $262.00 | $15.32–$536.00 | — |
| Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Auburn, CA · (530) 888-4500 HCHG SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $264.00 | $264.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento Sacramento, CA · (916) 454-2222 HCHG SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $264.00 | $264.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Roseville Medical Center Roseville, CA · (916) 781-1000 HCHG CYTO CL BLK 5 CNT/1 KARY+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $264.00 | $264.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Davis Hospital Davis, CA · (530) 757-5108 HCHG SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $264.00 | $264.00 | — | — |
| Mercy Hospital of Folsom Folsom, CA · (916) 983-7400 GROSS MICRO LEVEL IV File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $366.39 | $982.00 | $40.99–$883.80 | 63% |
| Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital Auburn, CA · (530) 888-4500 HCHG REF SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $871.00 | $871.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento Sacramento, CA · (916) 454-2222 HCHG REF SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,030.00 | $1,030.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Davis Hospital Davis, CA · (530) 757-5108 HCHG REF SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,034.00 | $1,034.00 | — | — |
| Sutter Roseville Medical Center Roseville, CA · (916) 781-1000 HCHG REF SURGICAL PATHOLOGY LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,072.00 | $1,072.00 | — | — |
Outpatient: lowest $17.66, median $122.00, highest $262.00 — a 14.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $122.00. 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 7 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 biopsy pathology exam is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Biopsy pathology exam explained.
12 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 88305 ($173.70). 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CARL-PL-SURG LEVL IV | $6.15 | file |
| Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV | $7.02 | file |
| Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CARL-PL-SURG LEVL IV | $7.50 | file |
| Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento, CARL-PL-SURG LEVL IV | $8.06 | file |
| Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CARL-PL-SURG LEVL IV | $8.42 | file |
| Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV | $8.56 | file |
| Methodist Hospital of Sacramento Sacramento, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV | $9.20 | file |
| Woodland Memorial Hospital Woodland, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV | $9.61 | file |
| Mercy Hospital of Folsom Folsom, CARL-PL-SURG LEVL IV | $12.41 | file |
| Mercy General Hospital Sacramento, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV RENAL | $13.47 | file |
| Mercy Hospital of Folsom Folsom, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV | $14.18 | file |
| Mercy San Juan Medical Center Carmichael, CARL-DP-SUG LEVEL IV RENAL | $16.44 | file |