Critical care (first hour) cost in San Francisco, CA
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 12 hospitals list a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes: from $1,419.71 to $5,909.68, with a median of $5,909.68. The lowest listed price is at Hayward Sisters Hospital — $4,489.97 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $5,487.56 at 98 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 11 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 Feb 23, 2026 and Jul 22, 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward Sisters Hospital lowest Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 CATEGORYVIFIRST3074MIN | $1,419.71 | $4,732.35 | $1,107.00–$4,022.50 | 70% | Feb 23, 2026 source file |
| Chinese Hospital Association San Francisco, CA · (415) 677-2480 Critical care, first 30-74 minutes | $4,471.00 | $4,471.00 | $174.42–$8,047.80 | — | Jul 22, 2026 source file |
| Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Critical Care 30-74 Min | $4,738.40 | $11,846.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 CRITICAL CARE ILL/INJURED PATIENT INIT 30-74 MIN | $5,909.68 | $10,553.00 | $6,260.00 | 44% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $1,419.71, median $5,909.68, highest $5,909.68 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $5,909.68. 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 11 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 9 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 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.