X-Ray Cost in San Francisco, CA (2026): Average Prices & What You'll Pay
What does a x-ray cost in San Francisco, CA?
The same x-ray in San Francisco, CA might cost you $124 at one facility and $228 at another - the building you walk into drives the difference. The median cash price across 39 reporting hospitals is $203. These figures come straight from hospital price transparency files published under federal law. Pick your coverage in the tabs below to see your number.
Insurance
With commercial insurance, X-ray in San Francisco, CA typically runs $124–$228, facility and physician fees combined. What you pay out of pocket depends on your deductible and coinsurance.
Medicare
Medicare pays the same national rate to every provider that accepts it, adjusted slightly for local wages, so choosing a different hospital doesn't change what Medicare pays. For X-ray that rate is about $89–$107 (typically near $89). After the $257 Part B deductible you generally pay 20% of the approved amount, about $18.
Your personalized cost report includes:
- ✓ Why the same X-ray costs more at a hospital or ER than at an imaging center
- ✓ The separate radiologist bill that can be out-of-network even at an in-network facility
- ✓ How an X-ray inside an ER or urgent-care visit rolls into a bigger bill
- ✓ The questions to ask before you schedule, including prior authorization
- ✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line
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Medicaid
Medicaid is run by each state, and it pays fixed rates to the providers that accept it, so the price doesn't change from one hospital to the next. Most people on Medicaid owe nothing or a small copay for covered care, but what's covered and what you owe depends on your state and plan. CostKits doesn't show a Medicaid price here because those rates are set by the state, not negotiated by each hospital. The question that matters is whether the provider accepts your Medicaid plan, so ask before you schedule.
Your personalized cost report includes:
- ✓ Why the same X-ray costs more at a hospital or ER than at an imaging center
- ✓ The separate radiologist bill that can be out-of-network even at an in-network facility
- ✓ How an X-ray inside an ER or urgent-care visit rolls into a bigger bill
- ✓ The questions to ask before you schedule, including prior authorization
- ✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line
Free for patients - takes 30 seconds to get.
We'll send a sign-in link to your email — click it to get your guide. No account required, no spam.
No insurance
Posted cash prices for X-ray at 40 San Francisco, CA hospitals range from $111–$723, with a median of $203. The lowest posted price we found is Contra Costa County in Matrinez, CA at $112. Ask for the cash or self-pay price and for the hospital’s financial-assistance policy before you book.
Once you have a bill or an appointment on the calendar, CostKits can help you keep it all organized.
Where x-ray costs vary in San Francisco, CA
Pins show hospitals with price-transparency data (colored by vs. state average) and nearby ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, and other facilities (colored by type). Click any pin for facility name and estimated cost range.
26+ people checked prices near them this month.
An X-ray is cheap - until a hospital setting and a separate radiologist bill turn it into two charges.
Your personalized cost report includes:
- ✓ Why the same X-ray costs more at a hospital or ER than at an imaging center
- ✓ The separate radiologist bill that can be out-of-network even at an in-network facility
- ✓ How an X-ray inside an ER or urgent-care visit rolls into a bigger bill
- ✓ The questions to ask before you schedule, including prior authorization
- ✓ A real patient billing breakdown, line by line
Free for patients - takes 30 seconds to get.
We'll send a sign-in link to your email - click it to get your guide. No account required, no spam.
Cheapest X-Ray Providers in San Francisco, CA
Based on declared cash/self-pay prices from CMS hospital price transparency files.
| # | Facility | City | Price | vs Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, CA | $579 | -$000 |
| 2 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, CA | $580 | -$000 |
| 3 | Sutter Delta Medical Center | Antioch, CA | $122 | -$81 |
| 4 | John Muir Health | Concord, CA | $123 | -$80 |
| 5 | Alta Bates Summit Medical Center | Oakland, CA | $123 | -$80 |
| 6 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, CA | $584 | -$000 |
| 7 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, CA | $585 | -$000 |
| 8 | Hospital name hidden | Your City, CA | $586 | -$000 |
Your ranked price list is on its way to your email. Open the PDF now.
Prices are declared self-pay rates. Contact each facility for a formal quote before scheduling.
Email me this price comparison plus what to ask before booking
Sends a PDF with all 39 facilities ranked cheapest first, plus a short checklist of questions that change what you pay. We don't sell your information (privacy policy).
Before you book: three questions that change the price
- Is this the self-pay price, and does it include the doctor, anesthesia and any lab or pathology? Those are often billed separately.
- Can you give me the price in writing, with the billing codes it covers?
- What happens to the price if something extra is needed during the procedure?
Estimate your out-of-pocket cost → · When the bills arrive, we check them for errors →
Quick take
- Contra Costa County is the lowest-cost option at $112 - $91 below the state median, just by choosing where you go.
- Ask for the cash price if your deductible isn't met - the median cash price here is $203, and it's often lower than what insurance pays before your deductible is satisfied.
- This dataset covers hospitals only - freestanding ASCs, which routinely run 30-60% cheaper for the same procedure, aren't included, so it's worth asking your doctor whether one is an option.
| Coverage | Hospitals with a rate | Typical range | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medicare (national rate) | — | $89 to $107 | $89 |
| With insurance (commercial, average) | 19 | $227 to $370 | $370 |
| Without insurance (cash price) | 40 | $111 to $723 | $203 |
| Anthem Blue Cross | 9 | $129 to $215 | $194 |
| Aetna | 8 | $56 to $177 | $111 |
| Cigna | 8 | $290 to $801 | $578 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 5 | $113 to $1,477 | $197 |
Rates are negotiated allowed amounts and cash prices from hospital price-transparency files (October 2026), shown at each hospital’s lowest-priced typical billing code for this procedure. Facility fees only. The typical range is the middle 80% of hospitals, not a quote for your visit.
How much does an X-ray cost with Medicare in San Francisco, CA?
Medicare's national hospital outpatient payment for X-ray is about $89 to $107 (typically near $89). After the $257 Part B deductible, you generally pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, about $18 on a $89 payment, with no out-of-pocket cap unless you have supplemental coverage or a Medicare Advantage plan.
Doctor, anesthesia and pathology fees are billed separately. Medicare rates are national CMS amounts, adjusted slightly by local wage levels.
How much does an X-ray cost with insurance in San Francisco, CA?
Across 19 San Francisco, CA hospitals, the negotiated rates commercial insurers pay for X-ray average $227 to $370 per hospital, with a median near $370. That is the amount your plan and you pay the hospital together; you owe your deductible, then coinsurance, up to your out-of-pocket maximum.
Each hospital’s figure is the average of the commercial insurers it lists. Medicare, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid rates are excluded.
How much does an X-ray cost without insurance in San Francisco, CA?
Cash (self-pay) prices for X-ray at 40 San Francisco, CA hospitals range from $111 to $723, with a median of $203. Ask for the cash or self-pay price and for any financial-assistance discount before you book; both can be lower than the posted price.
Cash prices are the hospital’s published discounted rate for patients paying without insurance.
How much does an X-ray cost with Anthem Blue Cross in San Francisco, CA?
Anthem Blue Cross negotiated rates for X-ray at 9 San Francisco, CA hospitals range from $129 to $215, with a median near $194. Your own cost depends on your plan’s deductible and coinsurance, and on whether the hospital is in your network.
Includes Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Anthem plans listed by each hospital.
How much does an X-ray cost with Aetna in San Francisco, CA?
Aetna negotiated rates for X-ray at 8 San Francisco, CA hospitals range from $56 to $177, with a median near $111. If a hospital is out of network for your Aetna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
How much does an X-ray cost with Cigna in San Francisco, CA?
Cigna negotiated rates for X-ray at 8 San Francisco, CA hospitals range from $290 to $801, with a median near $578. If a hospital is out of network for your Cigna plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
How much does an X-ray cost with UnitedHealthcare in San Francisco, CA?
UnitedHealthcare negotiated rates for X-ray at 5 San Francisco, CA hospitals range from $113 to $1,477, with a median near $197. If a hospital is out of network for your UnitedHealthcare plan, you may owe more than the negotiated rate, so check the network first.
California has the most competitive commercial hospital market in the country, with aggressive multi-system competition in every major metro driving meaningful price variation. Kaiser Permanente's integrated payer-provider model covers roughly 40% of the insured population in the state - if you're Kaiser-enrolled, the prices here largely don't apply. California's robust price transparency enforcement under SB 1204 means the data here is more complete than in most states. X-ray is the most commoditized of all imaging procedures, and price differences are almost entirely explained by facility type: a hospital outpatient chest X-ray can cost 5–10× more than the same study at an urgent care center or independent imaging clinic. For non-emergency X-rays, asking your physician for a referral to an outpatient imaging center rather than a hospital radiology department is the simplest and most reliable cost reduction available.
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Why prices vary - and what it means for your coverage
A small number of hospitals (6) report prices above $446, including AHMC Seton Medical Center Coastside at $1,991, which drives most of the overall spread - excluding them, most facilities cluster in a much tighter band. Setting matters too: the median outpatient price is $203 versus $203 inpatient, so where a procedure happens often matters more than which hospital you pick. Whether the scan happens in a hospital outpatient department (which adds a separate facility fee) or a freestanding imaging center is usually the single biggest driver of price for this procedure.
What you pay out of pocket on top of this depends on your deductible, your plan's out-of-pocket maximum, and whether every provider involved is in-network - not just the facility.
| Your situation | Estimated out-of-pocket |
|---|---|
| Deductible not yet met | ~$203 |
| Deductible met - 20% coinsurance | ~$41 |
| Out-of-network provider | $447+ |
Frequently asked questions: X-ray costs in San Francisco, CA
How much does an X-ray cost in San Francisco, CA?
The typical insurer-negotiated rate is $118, with most facilities between $24 and $123 (based on 37 hospitals reporting negotiated rates). Full market pricing - including cash rates, gross charges, and outlier facilities - ranges more widely, from $40 to $1,991 across all 39 San Francisco, CA hospitals that publish prices. What you pay depends on the facility, your insurance, and whether you have met your deductible.
Where is the cheapest place to get an X-ray in San Francisco, CA?
Based on declared prices, the lowest-cost facility in our San Francisco, CA data is Hebrew Home for Aged Disabled DBA Jewish Home at about $40. By metro, Oakland has the lowest median ($123). Freestanding ambulatory surgery and imaging centers are often cheaper still and may not appear in hospital price data - ask your doctor whether one is an option.
Why is an X-ray so much cheaper at some San Francisco, CA hospitals?
Prices vary up to 49.8× because each hospital sets its own list price, cash discount, and insurer-negotiated rates. In San Francisco, CA, the median cash (self-pay) price is $203 versus a median negotiated rate of $370 - cash is the lower number at many hospitals. Asking for the cash price as well as your insurer's negotiated rate is often the single biggest lever on what you pay.
How much will I actually pay out of pocket for an X-ray in San Francisco, CA?
Your out-of-pocket cost depends on your deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether the facility is in-network - not just the sticker price. If you have not met your deductible, you will typically pay the negotiated rate in full until you do. Use the CostKits cost forecaster to estimate your specific out-of-pocket amount before you go.
Before you book
- How to read your medical bill
- How to stop medical bill problems before they start
- How to negotiate your medical bills
- Allowed amount vs negotiated rate: what your EOB is really saying
- Understanding your UnitedHealthcare EOB
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CostKits compiles hospital price transparency data to help families make informed decisions. Track and manage your healthcare costs (free account).
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About the Author
John Caruso, FSA, MAAA
Healthcare actuary with 20+ years of experience in insurance pricing, medical billing systems, and healthcare cost analytics.
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