Psychological testing, 1st hour cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for psychological testing evaluation by a psychologist or physician, first hour: from $61.50 to $1,139.25, with a median of $673.40. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $611.90 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $673.40 at 57 hospitals.
- The median here, $673.40, is 117% above the US median of $310.95.
- That is 3.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($220.60).
- San Diego, CA ranks 2nd of 3 metro areas in California by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 7 cities for code 96130, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Psychologic Testing By Psych/Phys File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $61.50 | $82.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Init Psych Assmnt 1St Hr Lcsw+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $142.50 | $190.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Feed Team-Dec Dx Interview 1St Hr File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $224.25 | $299.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Follow-Up Assmnt 1St Hr Phd+4 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $225.00 | $300.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Sdrc Toddler Eval Initial Hr File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $262.50 | $350.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Kidstart Dec Psych Eval 1Hr+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $301.50 | $402.00 | — | 25% |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ks Dec Psych Eval Services Initial Hr+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $346.50 | $462.00 | — | 25% |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Psychological testing evaluation with clinician 1st hour File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $495.00 | $900.00 | $99.60–$1,215.00 | 45% |
| Palomar Medical Center Poway Poway, CA · (858) 485-6511 Psych Testing initial hour File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $496.61 | $827.69 | — | 40% |
| Palomar Medical Center Escondido Escondido, CA Psych Testing initial hour File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $496.61 | $827.69 | — | 40% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 PSYCHOLOGICAL TST EVAL SVC PHYS/QHP FIRST HOUR File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $673.40 | $1,295.00 | — | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 PSYCHOLOGICAL TST EVAL SVC PHYS/QHP FIRST HOUR File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $673.40 | $1,295.00 | — | 48% |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 PSYCHOLOGICAL TST EVAL SVC PHYS/QHP FIRST HOUR File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $673.40 | $1,295.00 | — | 48% |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC PSYCH TST EVAL 1ST HR QHP File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,139.25 | $1,519.00 | $1.00–$1,488.62 | 25% |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC PSYCH TST EVAL 1ST HR QHP File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,139.25 | $1,519.00 | $1.15–$1,215.20 | 25% |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC PSYCH TST EVAL 1ST HR QHP File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,139.25 | $1,519.00 | $1.00–$1,488.62 | 25% |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC PSYCH TST EVAL 1ST HR QHP File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $1,139.25 | $1,519.00 | $1.00–$1,367.10 | 25% |
Outpatient: lowest $61.50, median $673.40, highest $1,139.25 — a 18.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $673.40. 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 5 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 psychological testing, 1st hour is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Psychological testing, 1st hour explained.