How much does CT chest, with contrast cost in San Diego, CA?
CPT 71260 — the fair price, every hospital's price, and the Medicare benchmark for San Diego, CA.
| Facility | Type | Price | vs Medicare | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tri-City Medical Center (Oceanside) lowest | Hospital | $2,047cash | 11.5× | — |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital San Diego (San Diego) | Hospital | $2,134cash | 12.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Scripps Green Hospital (La Jolla) | Hospital | $2,134cash | 12.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas (Encinitas) | Hospital | $2,134cash | 12.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Scripps Mercy Hospital Chula Vista (Chula Vista) | Hospital | $2,134cash | 12.0× | — |
| Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla (La Jolla) | Hospital | $2,134cash | 12.0× | ★★★★★ |
| Kaiser Permanente San Diego Zion Medical Center (San Diego) | Hospital | $2,340cash | 13.1× | ★★★★★ |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital (San Diego) | Hospital | $3,081cash | 17.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center (Chula Vista) | Hospital | $3,081cash | 17.3× | — |
| Sharp Grossmont Hospital (La Mesa) | Hospital | $3,081cash | 17.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital (Coronado) | Hospital | $3,081cash | 17.3× | ★★★★★ |
| Rady Children's Hospital (San Diego) | Hospital | $3,104cash | 17.4× | — |
| UC San Diego Health - Hillcrest & Jacobs Medical Center (San Diego) | Hospital | $3,798cash | 21.3× | — |
- For 71260 (CT chest, with contrast), Medicare's benchmark rate is $178.02. A fair self-pay target for this line is $356.04. If I was charged more than that, please reduce it toward this benchmark.
- Your own published cash / self-pay price for 71260 is $2,340.00, and negotiated rates at nearby facilities run $2,133.65–$3,081.00. Please apply a rate in that range to my bill rather than the gross charge.
- Please send a fully itemized bill listing every CPT/HCPCS/DRG code and its individual charge, so I can review each line against published rates.
- Separately, what is your financial assistance / charity care policy, and am I eligible? Please send me the application and the income thresholds.
What should 71260 cost in San Diego, CA?
For CT chest, with contrast (CPT 71260) in San Diego, CA, a fair self-pay price is around $2,340, with hospitals ranging from $2,134 to $3,081 across 13 facilities. Medicare's benchmark rate is $178, the floor to negotiate toward. The card above lists each hospital's price, cheapest first, with CMS quality stars.
Frequently asked questions
How much does CT chest, with contrast cost in San Diego, CA?
A fair self-pay price for CT chest, with contrast (CPT 71260) in San Diego, CA is around $2,340, with hospital prices ranging from $2,134 to $3,081 across 13 facilities. These are estimates from hospital-published prices, not a guarantee.
What is the Medicare rate for CPT 71260?
Medicare pays about $178 for CT chest, with contrast (CPT 71260). That's the negotiation floor — a fair cash-pay target is roughly 1.5–2× it, well below typical gross charges.
Can I negotiate the price of CT chest, with contrast?
Yes. Under the federal Hospital Price Transparency rule hospitals must publish these rates, so you can ask to pay the cash or negotiated rate instead of the gross charge. Paste your bill on the home page for a ready-to-send appeal letter and the exact numbers to cite.
Got a bill for this?
If you were charged more than the fair price, you can usually negotiate it down. Paste your itemized bill to get a personalized appeal letter, the exact numbers to cite, an AI negotiation coach, and a charity-care eligibility check — free.
Compare other procedures in San Diego, CA
Prices last refreshed September 2026 from each hospital's official CMS machine-readable file. Medicare rate: CY2025 OPPS/PFS/CLFS. Estimates only — not a guarantee.