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PricedCare

Urinalysis with microscope in San Diego, CA costs $3 to $83. Here's every hospital's price.

5 hospitals in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area publish a cash price for urinalysis with microscope (CPT 81001). 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 urinalysis with microscope (CPT 81001). The lowest is $3 at Paradise Valley Hospital, the median is $83 and the highest is $83 at Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr. The most expensive hospital lists 28 times the cheapest for the same code.

The San Diego, CA median of $83 is 138% above the national median of $35 across 560 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

5 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $1 to $306. 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.

$3
lowest cash price in San Diego, CA
Paradise Valley Hospital · 29 mi
$80 below the median
$83
median cash price
5 hospitals
28×
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
Paradise Valley Hospital

National City · 29 mi · File Sep 2026

$3
list $76 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Tri-City Medical Center

Oceanside · 32 mi · File May 2026

$60
list $100 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Grossmont Hospital

La Mesa · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$83
list $111 · lowest of 4 lines
4
Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center

Chula Vista · 31 mi · File Apr 2026

$83
list $111 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Sharp Coronado Hospital and Hlthcr Ctr

Coronado · 32 mi · File Apr 2026

$83
list $111 · lowest of 2 lines
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 81001. 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 81001, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About urinalysis with microscope

CPT 81001 is an automated urinalysis with microscopic examination: a dipstick for protein, glucose, blood, infection markers and more, plus a look at the sample under a microscope for cells and crystals. It is done for urinary infections, kidney concerns, diabetes monitoring and pre-surgical screening.

What the price covers

The laboratory test only. It does not include the visit, a urine culture if infection is suspected (87086, a separate test), or the collection kit.

Why prices vary

This is a test that costs a few dollars to perform. Hospital list prices range from under $10 to over $200, and the cash price at a hospital is often many times what an urgent-care clinic or independent lab charges.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 81001?
  • Will a urine culture be added, and what does it cost?
  • Can it be done at a clinic or independent lab instead of the hospital?

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