Level 5 ER visit cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for emergency room visit, level 5 of 5, high-complexity problem: from $762.00 to $5,700.00, with a median of $4,050.00. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $3,288.00 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $3,284.32 at 98 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 7 cities for code 99285, 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 ED LEVEL 5 - 99285 - 8900052 | $762.00 | $6,930.00 | $155.03–$6,930.00 | 89% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 5" | $3,284.32 | $6,316.00 | $1,305.00–$3,880.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 5" | $3,284.32 | $6,316.00 | $1,305.00–$3,880.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 5" | $3,284.32 | $6,316.00 | $1,305.00–$3,880.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 99285 ER VISIT LEVEL 5 TechFee | $3,450.00 | $5,750.00 | $175.09–$4,536.75 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 99285 - Level 5 | $3,570.75 | $5,951.25 | $175.09–$4,695.54 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ed Visit Level V | $4,050.00 | $5,400.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Emergency department visit, problem with significant threat to life or function | $4,420.35 | $8,037.00 | $49.60–$10,849.95 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ed Trauma Consult Intermediate Tx | $4,668.00 | $6,224.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 5 VISIT HIGH SEVERITY&THREAT FUNC | $5,700.00 | $7,600.00 | $1.00–$6,840.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 5 VISIT HIGH SEVERITY&THREAT FUNC | $5,700.00 | $7,600.00 | $119.86–$6,080.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 5 VISIT HIGH SEVERITY&THREAT FUNC | $5,700.00 | $7,600.00 | $1.00–$6,080.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT LEVEL 5 VISIT HIGH SEVERITY&THREAT FUNC | $5,700.00 | $7,600.00 | $1.00–$7,448.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital one side San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ER TYPE CRITICAL LT 30MIN | $7,125.00 | $9,500.00 | $1.00–$7,790.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center one side Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ER TYPE CRITICAL LT 30MIN | $7,125.00 | $9,500.00 | $1.15–$7,600.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital one side La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ER TYPE CRITICAL LT 30MIN | $7,125.00 | $9,500.00 | $1.00–$7,600.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center one side Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ER TYPE CRITICAL LT 30MIN | $7,125.00 | $9,500.00 | $119.86–$7,600.00 | 25% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Emergency department visit, problem with significant threat to life or function | $8,103.87 | $14,734.30 | $16.83–$779.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Trauma Suite Level 5 | $9,097.00 | $16,540.00 | $49.60–$22,329.00 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ed Trauma Consult Major Treatment | $9,666.75 | $12,889.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ER TRAUMA LVL V ADVANCED | $11,400.00 | $15,200.00 | $4,514.40–$14,896.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ER TRAUMA LVL V ADVANCED | $11,400.00 | $15,200.00 | $1.30–$14,896.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ER TRAUMA LVL V ADVANCED | $11,400.00 | $15,200.00 | $1.00–$14,896.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ER TRAUMA LVL V ADVANCED | $11,400.00 | $15,200.00 | $1.15–$12,160.00 | 25% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $762.00, median $4,050.00, highest $5,700.00 — a 7.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $4,235.18. 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 10 of 10 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 the highest of five emergency department visit levels, used for a serious problem that needs complex evaluation and treatment, often with a hospital admission or transfer. 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.