How much does Cholesterol test (lipid panel) cost in San Francisco Bay Area?

Median insurer-negotiated rates range from $13 at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Alta Bates Campus to $168 at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, based on the hospitals' own federally mandated price files.

Is it cheaper to pay cash than use insurance?

Sometimes. Several hospitals publish discounted cash prices below the rates insurers negotiate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the self-pay price.

Why do prices differ so much between hospitals?

Each hospital negotiates rates separately with each insurer, and hospitals in the same health system usually share one contract. The same procedure with the same insurer can cost several times more across town.

Costs · Lab · Cholesterol test (lipid panel) · San Francisco Bay Area · code 80061

How much does a cholesterol test (lipid panel) cost in San Francisco Bay Area?

Blood test of cholesterol and triglycerides. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 26 San Francisco Bay Area-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.

$13

lowest median negotiated rate

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center – Alta Bates Campus

$168

highest (adult hospitals)

Mills-Peninsula Medical Center

12.9×

price spread

same procedure, same metro

Rates shown

Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for the full receipt

cash (self-pay) price

Hospital	Gross charge	Cash price	Negotiated	Range	# rates	vs median

* Specialty hospital (pediatric or cancer center) — rates reflect specialty case mix. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.

SOURCE: standard-charges files from 26 hospitals · file dates 2026-03-01 → 2026-04-01 · retrieved 2026-08-15

Paying cash can beat using insurance. At John Muir Medical Center – Concord, the self-pay price is $21 — less than the $23 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.

Skipping the hospital? 53 independent imaging/outpatient centers in this area negotiate a median $11 all-in for this procedure (107 insurer rates) — less than the lowest hospital facility fee above ($13).

Ccrm San Francisco, Llc — $5
Laguna Hills Pathology Lab Llc — $5
Arthur Baca — $5
San Francisco Dermatopathology Institute Professional Corporation — $5

All-in (global) negotiated fees from Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare's federally mandated Transparency-in-Coverage files, newest dated 2026-08-01; hospital bars above show the facility fee only — a physician fee is usually billed on top. Estimates — confirm with the provider.

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