Eye exam in California
Below is what hospitals in California charge if you pay cash, and the typical rate insurers negotiated.
Cash prices at 15 hospitals in California run from $9 to $1,085. The typical hospital charges $33. Where a hospital sits on this scale matters more than the number alone:
typical: $33
Cheaper than most hospitalsPricier than most hospitals
43 hospitals. Sort by: Cash price ▲ · Negotiated median · Gross charge · Negotiated low
What these numbers mean.
Cash price is what the hospital lists for patients paying out of pocket.
Negotiated median is the middle of what insurance companies actually agreed to pay.
Gross charge is the sticker price — almost nobody pays it.
What you will actually pay is usually different from both numbers:
with insurance, your deductible, copay, or coinsurance decides what you owe —
the negotiated rate is what the insurer pays, not your bill.
A single line item may not be the whole cost: physician, anesthesia, pathology,
and facility fees can be billed separately.
Prices vary by hospital and change over time; always confirm with the hospital before you go.
| Hospital | Cash price | Where it sits | Insurance pays (typical) | Gross charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adventist Health Lodi Memorial CA · Price file August 2, 2026 | $9Insurance typically pays $73Sticker price $124 | Lowest price of any hospital | $73 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Bakersfield CA · Price file October 5, 2026 | $19Insurance typically pays $52Sticker price $124 | Cheaper than 93% of hospitals | $52 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Sonora CA · Price file May 23, 2026 | $21Insurance typically pays $91Sticker price $124 | Cheaper than 86% of hospitals | $91 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Reedley CA · Price file August 2, 2026 | $24Insurance typically pays $68Sticker price $124 | Cheaper than 79% of hospitals | $68 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Hanford CA · Price file August 1, 2026 | $24Insurance typically pays $58Sticker price $124 | Cheaper than 79% of hospitals | $58 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Tulare CA · Price file May 22, 2026 | $24Insurance typically pays $47Sticker price $124 | Cheaper than 79% of hospitals | $47 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley CA · Price file May 24, 2026 | $27Insurance typically pays $88Sticker price $133 | Cheaper than 57% of hospitals | $88 | $133 |
| Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley CA · Price file May 21, 2026 | $33Insurance typically pays $64Sticker price $124 | Cheaper than 50% of hospitals | $64 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Howard Memorial CA · Price file August 2, 2026 | $37Insurance typically pays $93Sticker price $124 | Pricier than 57% of hospitals | $93 | $124 |
| Adventist Health Mendocino Coast CA · Price file August 2, 2026 | $82Insurance typically pays $124Sticker price $124 | Pricier than 64% of hospitals | $124 | $124 |
| Stanford Health Care CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | $111Insurance typically pays $196Sticker price $278 | Pricier than 71% of hospitals | $196 | $278 |
| Ventura County Medical Center - Santa Paula Hospital CA · Price file November 3, 2026 | $145Insurance typically pays $45Sticker price $290 | Pricier than 79% of hospitals | $45 | $290 |
| George L Mee Memorial Hospital CA · Price file October 28, 2026 | $212Insurance typically pays $254Sticker price $283 | Pricier than 86% of hospitals | $254 | $283 |
| Tahoe Forest Hospital CA · Price file September 28, 2026 | $229Insurance typically pays $197Sticker price $229 | Pricier than 93% of hospitals | $197 | $229 |
| Cedars Sinai Medical Center CA · Price file November 26, 2025 | $1,085Insurance typically pays $160Sticker price $1,670 | Highest price of any hospital | $160 | $1,670 |
| California Pacific Medical Ctr-davies Campus Hosp CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hsp At Stanford CA · Price file March 31, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $259Sticker price $370 | — | $259 | $370 |
| Los Robles Hospital Medical Center CA | —Insurance typically pays $74Sticker price — | — | $74 | — |
| Providence Holy Cross Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $177Sticker price — | — | $177 | — |
| Providence Little Co Of Mary Med Ctr San Pedro CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $175Sticker price — | — | $175 | — |
| Providence Little Company Of Mary Med Ctr Torrance CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $188Sticker price — | — | $188 | — |
| Providence Mission Hospital CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $179Sticker price — | — | $179 | — |
| Providence Queen Of The Valley Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $178Sticker price — | — | $178 | — |
| Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Good Samaritan Hospital CA | —Insurance typically pays $74Sticker price — | — | $74 | — |
| Novato Community Hospital CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Providence St. Joseph Hospital CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $179Sticker price — | — | $179 | — |
| Providence St. Jude Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $179Sticker price — | — | $179 | — |
| West Hills Hospital Medical Center CA | —Insurance typically pays $74Sticker price — | — | $74 | — |
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| California Pacific Medical Center - Mission Bernal CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| California Pacific Medical Center Van Ness Campus CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Emanate Health Queen Of The Valley Hospital CA | —Insurance typically pays $283Sticker price — | — | $283 | — |
| Sutter Coast Hospital CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $171Sticker price — | — | $171 | — |
| Sutter Delta Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Sutter Lakeside Hospital CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Alta Bates Summit Medical Center - Alta Bates Camp CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Mills-peninsula Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Eden Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
| Providence Cedars Sinai Tarzana Medical Center CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $755Sticker price — | — | $755 | — |
| Emanate Health Foothill Presbyterian Hospital CA | —Insurance typically pays $283Sticker price — | — | $283 | — |
| Emanate Health Inter-community Hospital CA | —Insurance typically pays $283Sticker price — | — | $283 | — |
| Sutter Maternity Surgery Center Of Santa Cruz CA · Price file April 1, 2026 | —Insurance typically pays $189Sticker price — | — | $189 | — |
Procedure code 92012. Prices are from each hospital's own published price file — see methodology.