Critical care (first hour) cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes: from $611.25 to $11,094.75, with a median of $5,487.56. The lowest listed price is at Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego — $4,876.31 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $5,487.56 at 98 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 7 cities for code 99291, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego lowest San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Critical Care Visit, E/M 30-74 Minutes | $611.25 | $815.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 ED CRITICAL CARE - 99291 - 8971061 | $1,057.00 | $9,240.00 | $174.42–$9,240.00 | 89% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Critical Care Room Chg, E/M 30-74 Minutes | $1,897.50 | $2,530.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 99291 TRAUMA ALERT CLASS 1 | $4,500.00 | $7,500.00 | $196.99–$5,917.50 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Tri-City Medical Center Oceanside, CA · (760) 724-8411 Critical Care Ill/Injured Patient Init 30-74 Min 99291 | $4,657.50 | $7,762.50 | $196.99–$6,124.61 | 40% | May 29, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,487.56 | $10,553.00 | $1,794.00–$5,335.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 6" | $5,487.56 | $10,553.00 | $1,794.00–$5,335.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,487.56 | $10,553.00 | $1,794.00–$5,335.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 6" | $5,487.56 | $10,553.00 | $1,794.00–$5,335.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,487.56 | $10,553.00 | $1,794.00–$5,335.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 "FACILITY USE-EMERGENCY ROOM, LEVEL 6" | $5,487.56 | $10,553.00 | $1,794.00–$5,335.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Crit Care (Trauma Lvl Iii)30-74Min | $7,245.00 | $9,660.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Ed Cc Trmt 30-74Min | $7,245.00 | $9,660.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Critical care delivery critically ill or injured patient, first 30-74 minutes | $8,493.10 | $15,442.00 | $49.60–$20,846.70 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Crit Care (Trauma Activation Lvl I And Ii)30-74Min | $9,666.75 | $12,889.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC CRITICAL CARE E/M 30-74 MINUTES | $11,094.75 | $14,793.00 | $1.00–$14,497.14 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC CRITICAL CARE E/M 30-74 MINUTES | $11,094.75 | $14,793.00 | $1.00–$14,497.14 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC CRITICAL CARE E/M 30-74 MINUTES | $11,094.75 | $14,793.00 | $1.00–$28,098.19 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC CRITICAL CARE E/M 30-74 MINUTES | $11,094.75 | $14,793.00 | $1.30–$13,313.70 | 25% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Trauma Suite Critical Care 30-74 Min | $12,652.75 | $23,005.00 | $49.60–$31,056.75 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Critical care delivery critically ill or injured patient, first 30-74 minutes | $13,010.02 | $23,654.58 | $91.61–$1,070.62 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Crit Care(Trauma Activation Lvl Iii)Walk-In 30-74Min | $13,094.25 | $17,459.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Crit Care(Trauma Activation Lvl Ii)Walk-In 30-74Min | $21,782.25 | $29,043.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC ER TRAUMA CRITICAL +30MIN | $22,189.50 | $29,586.00 | $1.00–$28,994.28 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC ER TRAUMA CRITICAL +30MIN | $22,189.50 | $29,586.00 | $1.15–$28,994.28 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC ER TRAUMA CRITICAL +30MIN | $22,189.50 | $29,586.00 | $1.15–$28,994.28 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC ER TRAUMA CRITICAL +30MIN | $22,189.50 | $29,586.00 | $1.00–$26,627.40 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Crit Care(Trauma Activation Lvl I)Walk-In 30-74Min | $26,995.50 | $35,994.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $611.25, median $5,487.56, highest $11,094.75 — a 18.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $6,990.33. 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 7 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 code bills care for a life-threatening illness or injury for the first 30 to 74 minutes. It appears on emergency department bills after serious cases and in intensive care.
What the price covers
The price is the hospital's charge. Additional half hours use 99292, and the doctor bills separately.