Blood transfusion cost in California

In California, 210 hospitals publish a cash price for blood transfusion (giving blood or blood components): from $115.92 to $4,770.00, with a median of $873.60. The lowest price is at Kern Valley Healthcare District (Mountain Mesa). The highest price is 41.1× the lowest.

• The median here, $873.60, is 15% above the US median of $760.00.
• That is 1.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($450.73).
• California ranks 34th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 62 of 210 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.

California law (Health and Safety Code §127405): if you are uninsured or have high medical costs and your family income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, a hospital may not expect you to pay more than it would expect from Medicare or Medi-Cal, whichever is greater. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital for its discount payment policy. A separate physician fee may still apply. Other states' laws.

Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 36430. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map