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PricedCare

Basic metabolic panel (blood test) in San Diego, CA costs $2 to $264. Here's every hospital's price.

5 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, 5 hospitals list a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). The lowest is $2 at Tri-City Medical Center, the median is $264 and the highest is $264 at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr. The most expensive hospital lists 106 times the cheapest for the same code.

The San Diego, CA median of $264 is 277% above the national median of $70 across 566 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

5 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $45,632. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between April 2026 and September 2026. 11 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$2
lowest cash price in San Diego, CA
Tri-City Medical Center · 32 mi
$262 below the median
$264
median cash price
5 hospitals
106×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
5/16
hospitals with a cash price
11 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Tri-City Medical Center

Oceanside · 32 mi · File May 2026

$2
list $4 · lowest of 6 lines
2
Paradise Valley Hospital

National City · 29 mi · File Sep 2026

$8
list $261
3
Grossmont Hospital

La Mesa · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$264
list $352 · lowest of 4 lines
4
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center

Chula Vista · 31 mi · File Apr 2026

$264
list $352 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr

Coronado · 32 mi · File Apr 2026

$264
list $352 · lowest of 2 lines
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 80048. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 80048, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About basic metabolic panel (blood test)

CPT 80048 is a basic metabolic panel: eight blood tests in one draw covering blood sugar, kidney function (creatinine, urea), sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate and calcium. It is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, done at check-ups, before surgery and when monitoring medications.

What the price covers

The price is for the laboratory analysis of one blood sample. It does not include the blood draw (36415, usually a small separate charge), the visit that ordered it, or any other tests run from the same sample.

Why prices vary

Lab tests are where hospital pricing looks most absurd: the same automated panel, which costs a laboratory a few dollars to run, lists at $10 in one hospital and $500 in another. Independent laboratories and direct-to-consumer lab services are almost always cheaper than hospital labs for routine panels. If a hospital's cash price is high, ask whether the sample can go to an outside lab.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 80048, and is the blood draw extra?
  • Can the sample be sent to an independent laboratory instead?
  • If my doctor ordered a comprehensive panel (80053), is the basic one enough?

Hospitals in San Diego, CA without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask