Carotid ultrasound cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for carotid artery ultrasound (duplex), both sides of the neck as an inpatient: from $650.10 to $1,240.50, with a median of $1,240.50. The lowest listed price is at UC San Diego Medical Center — $590.40 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $1,240.50 at 22 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 93880, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC San Diego Medical Center lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Ultrasound Scanning Of Head And Neck Vessel Blood Flow (Outside The Brain) | $650.10 | $1,182.00 | $179.75–$591.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIALBILAT - CAROTID DUPLEX | $1,240.50 | $1,654.00 | $104.53–$1,488.60 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIALBILAT - CAROTID DUPLEX | $1,240.50 | $1,654.00 | $104.53–$1,240.50 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIALBILAT - CAROTID DUPLEX | $1,240.50 | $1,654.00 | $491.24–$1,323.20 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIALBILAT - CAROTID DUPLEX | $1,240.50 | $1,654.00 | $231.56–$1,677.73 | 25% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion both sides San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIAL ART COMPL BI STUDY | $973.44 | $1,872.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos both sides San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIAL ART COMPL BI STUDY | $973.44 | $1,872.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa both sides San Diego, CA DUPLEX SCAN EXTRACRANIAL ART COMPL BI STUDY | $973.44 | $1,872.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $650.10, median $1,240.50, highest $1,240.50 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
Both sides : lowest $973.44, median $973.44, highest $973.44.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,240.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 5 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
A carotid ultrasound uses sound waves and Doppler to look at the arteries in the neck that carry blood to the brain. It checks for narrowing or plaque and is ordered after a stroke or mini-stroke, for a bruit heard in the neck, or to follow known artery disease.
What the price covers
The hospital price usually covers the complete study of both sides. The interpretation by a radiologist or vascular specialist is often billed separately.