ALT liver test cost in California

In California, 217 hospitals publish a cash price for ALT (alanine aminotransferase) liver enzyme test: from $4.04 to $990.25, with a median of $43.12. The lowest price is at Mercy Medical Center of Mt Shasta (Mt Shasta). The highest price is 245.1× the lowest.

• The median here, $43.12, is 15% above the US median of $37.50.
• That is 8.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($5.30).
• California ranks 30th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 62 of 217 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 84460. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map