PT evaluation, low complexity cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for physical therapy evaluation, low complexity (typically about 20 minutes): from $108.00 to $237.00, with a median of $222.56. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $114.56 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $222.56 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 97161, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PT EVAL LOW COMPLEX 20 MIN | $108.00 | $308.82 | $92.65–$712.61 | 65% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 PT MCARE EVAL 20M | $108.00 | $712.61 | $92.65–$712.61 | 85% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Evaluation of physical therapy, typically 20 minutes | $162.25 | $295.00 | $29.50–$191.75 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION LOW COMPLEX 20 MINS | $222.56 | $428.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION LOW COMPLEX 20 MINS | $222.56 | $428.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 PHYSICAL THERAPY EVALUATION LOW COMPLEX 20 MINS | $222.56 | $428.00 | — | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Smh- P/T Eval 20 Min | $237.00 | $316.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ip Eval Low Complexity 4 Rvu | $366.00 | $488.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ip Eval Low Complexity 5 Rvu | $423.75 | $565.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $108.00, median $222.56, highest $237.00 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $222.56. 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 2 of 2 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
This is a first physical therapy evaluation of low complexity, typically about 20 minutes face to face. It is used for a stable problem with few other health factors, and ends with a plan of care.
What the price covers
The price covers the evaluation, billed once per evaluation rather than in time units. Treatment on the same day, such as therapeutic exercise or manual therapy, is billed separately in 15-minute units.