Psychiatric evaluation cost in California

In California, 111 hospitals publish a cash price for mental health diagnostic evaluation (intake), without medical services: from $62.22 to $2,546.00, with a median of $383.35. The lowest price is at Community Hospital of San Bernardino (San Bernardino). The highest price is 40.9× the lowest.

• The median here, $383.35, is 49% above the US median of $257.70.
• That is 2.1× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($181.34).
• California ranks 42nd of 48 states by median, cheapest first.
• 32 of 111 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 90791. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map