Comprehensive metabolic panel cost in California

In California, 219 hospitals publish a cash price for comprehensive metabolic panel (blood test): from $10.00 to $3,215.13, with a median of $255.36. The lowest price is at Centinela Hospital Medical Center (Inglewood) and 12 other hospitals. The highest price is 321.5× the lowest.

• The median here, $255.36, is 113% above the US median of $120.00.
• That is 24.2× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($10.56).
• California ranks 48th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 62 of 219 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 80053. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map