Blood culture cost in California

In California, 200 hospitals publish a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $14.39 to $1,481.00, with a median of $272.16. The lowest price is at Community Hospital of San Bernardino (San Bernardino). The highest price is 102.9× the lowest.

• The median here, $272.16, is 136% above the US median of $115.20.
• That is 26.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($10.32).
• California ranks 49th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
• 62 of 200 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 87040. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 12, 2026. See them on a map