Critical care (first hour) cost in California

In California, 206 hospitals publish a cash price for critical care, first 30 to 74 minutes: from $294.50 to $45,114.00, with a median of $5,487.56. The lowest price is at Trinity Hospital (Weaverville). The highest price is 153.2× the lowest.

• The median here, $5,487.56, is 172% above the US median of $2,019.93.
• That is 6.5× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($843.92).
• California ranks 48th of 49 states by median, cheapest first.
• 56 of 206 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 99291. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 12, 2026. See them on a map