IV hydration cost in California

In California, 216 hospitals publish a cash price for IV hydration (fluids through a vein), first 31 to 60 minutes: from $34.00 to $3,757.36, with a median of $497.72. The lowest price is at UCI Health-Orange (Orange). The highest price is 110.5× the lowest.

• The median here, $497.72, is 55% above the US median of $321.46.
• That is 2.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($217.31).
• California ranks 45th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
• 60 of 216 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 96360. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 8, 2026. See them on a map