Biopsy pathology exam cost in California

In California, 208 hospitals publish a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV): from $17.48 to $1,706.75, with a median of $130.00. The lowest price is at Mercy Medical Center Redding (Redding). The highest price is 97.6× the lowest.

• The median here, $130.00, is 24% below the US median of $171.00.
• That is 2.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($53.24).
• California ranks 16th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 63 of 208 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 88305. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map