Level 3 ER visit cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 3 of 5, low-complexity problem as an inpatient: from $1,207.96 to $2,187.75, with a median of $1,584.08. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos and 2 other hospitals — $376.12 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $1,234.00 at 98 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 99283, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and May 29, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 3" | $1,207.96 | $2,323.00 | $590.00–$1,755.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 3" | $1,207.96 | $2,323.00 | $590.00–$1,755.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 3" | $1,207.96 | $2,323.00 | $590.00–$1,755.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 99283 ER LEVEL 3 VISIT TechFee | $1,380.00 | $2,300.00 | $1,610.00–$1,791.70 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 99283 - Level 3 | $1,428.30 | $2,380.50 | $1,666.35–$1,854.41 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ed Visit Level Iii | $1,500.00 | $2,000.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Emergency department visit, moderately severe problem | $1,668.15 | $3,033.00 | $49.60–$4,094.55 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 3 VISIT MODERATE SEVERITY | $2,187.75 | $2,917.00 | $437.55–$2,625.30 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 3 VISIT MODERATE SEVERITY | $2,187.75 | $2,917.00 | $816.76–$2,858.66 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 3 VISIT MODERATE SEVERITY | $2,187.75 | $2,917.00 | $866.35–$2,625.30 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 3 VISIT MODERATE SEVERITY | $2,187.75 | $2,917.00 | $816.76–$2,625.30 | 25% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Trauma Suite Level 3 | $4,218.50 | $7,670.00 | $49.60–$10,354.50 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $1,207.96, median $1,584.08, highest $2,187.75 — a 1.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $1,500.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 of 9 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 it is
This is the middle of five emergency department visit levels, used for a problem of low complexity, for example one that needs a few basic tests. The level is assigned after the visit: doctors pick it by the complexity of their medical decision making, and hospitals pick the facility level by the care and resources used, so a patient cannot choose it in advance.
What the price covers
The hospital price for this code is the facility fee for the ER visit. The emergency physician bills separately, and lab tests, imaging, medicines and procedures are added on top.