Eye exam, new patient cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for comprehensive eye exam by an eye doctor, new patient as an inpatient: from $126.00 to $292.24, with a median of $292.24. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $166.24 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $245.28 at 43 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 2 cities for code 92004, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ophthalmology Office, Comprehensive New Pt | $126.00 | $168.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Eye And Medical Examination For Diagnosis And Treatment, New Patient, 1 Or More Visits | $229.90 | $418.00 | $57.12–$209.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA OPHTH MEDICAL XM&EVAL COMPRE NEW PT 1/> VST | $292.24 | $562.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 OPHTH MEDICAL XM&EVAL COMPRE NEW PT 1/> VST | $292.24 | $562.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 OPHTH MEDICAL XM&EVAL COMPRE NEW PT 1/> VST | $292.24 | $562.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $126.00, median $292.24, highest $292.24 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $292.24 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 is a full medical eye exam for a new patient by an ophthalmologist or optometrist. It usually checks vision, eye pressure, eye movement and the inside of the eye, often with dilating drops, and may take more than one visit.
What the price covers
The price covers the exam itself. Refraction, the test that sets a glasses prescription, is billed separately (92015), as are contact lens fitting, eye imaging and glasses.