DRG 281 · Cardiovascular

Heart Attack Cost in California — Compare All Hospitals

Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) with complications — discharged alive.

State average
$56,528
gross charge · DRG 281
Hospitals
46
with published pricing
Price range
$3,070 – $115,341
low to high
Lowest $3,070 Highest $115,341

California hospitals price heart attack (Medicare DRG 281) anywhere from $3,070 to $115,341 — a $112,271 gap between the cheapest and most expensive option. The cheapest is Glenn Medical Center in Willows; the most expensive is Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas in Encinitas. The state average sits at $56,528.

Gross charges are the hospital's list price for the facility part of your stay — the room, operating-room time, nursing, and equipment. Insurance plans negotiate substantial discounts, Medicare and Medicaid pay fixed federal rates, and uninsured patients can usually qualify for a cash-pay discount. But the gross charge still works as a useful benchmark: a hospital that lists heart attack at twice the price of another typically negotiates higher rates with insurers too, and quotes more for uninsured patients.

If you're scheduling heart attack in California, sort the list below by price, then click each hospital name to see its quality profile — CMS overall star rating, surgical-safety measures, readmission rates, patient-experience scores. The cheapest hospital isn't always the right call. Teaching hospitals often charge more because they take complex cases, and a higher-rated community hospital may deliver equivalent outcomes for a straightforward case at a lower price. Use the price column to narrow the field; use the quality data to make the final call.

Pricing comes from each hospital's Machine-Readable File (MRF), published under the federal Hospital Price Transparency Rule. California hospitals missing from the list either don't perform heart attack in volume, haven't published a usable price for DRG 281 in their most recent MRF, or fell below our data-quality thresholds (we filter out clearly erroneous entries like $0 charges). The list refreshes as hospitals update their files.

What this hospital charge usually covers

The gross-charge number above is the hospital's facility bill for heart attack. Here's what's typically inside that price (typical inpatient stay: 3–5 days):

Included in the hospital bill

  • Emergency department evaluation and cardiac workup
  • Inpatient cardiac monitoring (often in a coronary care unit)
  • Diagnostic catheterization and any required stenting
  • Inpatient medications and routine labs during admission

Usually billed separately

  • Cardiologist, ED physician, and any interventional specialist professional fees
  • Ambulance transport
  • Outpatient cardiac rehab and follow-up visits after discharge
  • Long-term medications (antiplatelets, statins, beta-blockers)

Quality signals to check before picking a hospital

Price alone won't tell you which hospital does heart attack best. These are the CMS quality measures that matter most for this specific procedure. Click any hospital below for its full profile, then look for these:

Heart-Attack Mortality (30-day)

The single most important quality signal — how often patients survive 30 days after a heart attack at this hospital.

Time to Fibrinolysis (STEMI)

For ST-elevation heart attacks treated with clot-busting drugs, every minute counts. Tracks median minutes from arrival to treatment.

Heart-Attack Readmissions

Reflects discharge planning, medication reconciliation, and outpatient cardiology handoff.

When the cheapest hospital may not be the best fit

The list below sorts by price. For heart attack, the lowest price isn't automatically the best fit — these are situations where it's worth weighing additional factors against price. None of the below is medical advice; talk to your doctor about what applies to your specific situation.

Questions to ask your hospital or insurer

The gross charge is the starting point. These are the procedure-specific questions to ask before you commit:

Data notes for California

Hospitals ranked by gross charge

  1. 1

    Glenn Medical Center

    Willows, CA

    Gross charge $3,070
    Cash pay $1,842
  2. 2

    San Joaquin General Hospital

    French Camp, CA

    Gross charge $6,072
    Cash pay $3,340
  3. 3

    Adventist Health Delano

    Delano, CA

    Gross charge $8,798
    Cash pay $1,760
  4. 4
    Gross charge $8,947
    Cash pay $7,157
  5. 5

    Colusa Medical Center

    Colusa, CA

    Gross charge $10,929
    Cash pay $6,557
  6. 6

    Tahoe Forest Hospital

    Truckee, CA

    Gross charge $10,934
  7. 7

    Adventist Health Mendocino Coast

    Fort Bragg, CA

    Gross charge $13,365
    Cash pay $8,821
  8. 8
    Gross charge $19,408
    Cash pay $11,645
  9. 9

    El Centro Regional Medical Center

    El Centro, CA

    Gross charge $25,503
    Cash pay $17,852
  10. 10
    Gross charge $27,011
  11. 11

    Adventist Health Tulare

    Tulare, CA

    Gross charge $29,291
    Cash pay $5,565
  12. 12

    Adventist Health Hanford

    Hanford, CA

    12 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $32,861
    Cash pay $6,244
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,398
  13. 13

    Fairchild Medical Center

    Yreka, CA

    Gross charge $35,411
  14. 14

    Kaweah Health Medical Center

    Visalia, CA

    33 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $35,465
    Cash pay $10,500
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,918
  15. 15

    Adventist Health White Memorial Montebello

    Montebello, CA

    Gross charge $37,342
  16. 16
    Gross charge $38,538
    Cash pay $20,425
  17. 17

    Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley

    Tehachapi, CA

    Gross charge $40,324
    Cash pay $10,888
  18. 18

    Alameda Hospital

    Alameda, CA

    Gross charge $42,393
    Cash pay $21,197
  19. 19

    Highland Hospital

    Oakland, CA

    12 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $42,393
    Cash pay $21,197
    Medicare pays (avg) $16,374
  20. 20
    Gross charge $42,688
    Cash pay $8,111
  21. 21

    Tri-City Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Oceanside, CA

    20 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $43,270
    Cash pay $25,962
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,081
  22. 22

    Adventist Health Ukiah Valley

    Ukiah, CA

    Gross charge $47,082
    Cash pay $9,416
  23. 23

    Adventist Health Lodi Memorial (Acute Care)

    Lodi, CA

    13 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $49,956
    Cash pay $3,497
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,507
  24. 24

    Barstow Community Hospital

    Barstow, CA

    Gross charge $52,092
    Cash pay $31,255
  25. 25

    Adventist Health Bakersfield

    Bakersfield, CA

    34 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $53,403
    Cash pay $8,010
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,750
  26. 26

    Riverside University Health System Medical Center

    Moreno Valley, CA

    Gross charge $57,586
  27. 27

    Sonoma Valley Hospital

    Sonoma, CA

    Gross charge $61,358
    Cash pay $42,950
  28. 28

    Natividad Medical Center

    Salinas, CA

    Gross charge $62,119
  29. 29

    Adventist Health Clear Lake

    Clearlake, CA

    Gross charge $63,618
    Cash pay $22,903
  30. 30

    Adventist Health and Rideout

    Marysville, CA

    39 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $75,002
    Cash pay $16,500
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,313
  31. 31

    Eisenhower Medical Center

    Rancho Mirage, CA

    44 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $76,797
    Cash pay $4,434
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,653
  32. 32

    Adventist Health Sonora

    Sonora, CA

    30 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $79,523
    Cash pay $13,519
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,924
  33. 33

    Washington Health

    Fremont, CA

    14 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $81,591
    Cash pay $53,034
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,408
  34. 34

    Sharp Memorial Hospital

    San Diego, CA

    26 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $83,186
    Cash pay $62,389
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,077
  35. 35

    Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center

    Chula Vista, CA

    15 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $83,186
    Cash pay $62,389
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,315
  36. 36

    Sharp Grossmont Hospital

    La Mesa, CA

    23 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $83,186
    Cash pay $62,389
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,448
  37. 37

    Sharp Coronado Hospital

    Coronado, CA

    Gross charge $83,186
    Cash pay $62,389
  38. 38

    San Antonio Regional Hospital

    Upland, CA

    19 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $89,883
    Cash pay $91,681
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,474
  39. 39

    Redlands Community Hospital

    Redlands, CA

    Gross charge $91,516
    Cash pay $21,964
  40. 40

    Adventist Health White Memorial

    Los Angeles, CA

    17 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $98,777
    Cash pay $17,780
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,747
  41. 41

    Adventist Health St Helena

    Saint Helena, CA

    19 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $105,922
    Cash pay $15,888
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,746
  42. 42

    Adventist Health Glendale (Acute Care)

    Glendale, CA

    45 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $105,922
    Cash pay $15,888
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,759
  43. 43

    Scripps Mercy Hospital

    San Diego, CA

    22 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $115,341
    Cash pay $28,835
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,800
  44. 44

    Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla

    La Jolla, CA

    28 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $115,341
    Cash pay $28,835
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,362
  45. 45

    Scripps Green Hospital

    La Jolla, CA

    Gross charge $115,341
    Cash pay $28,835
  46. 46

    Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas

    Encinitas, CA

    26 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge $115,341
    Cash pay $28,835
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,165
  47. 47

    St. Rose Hospital

    Hayward, CA

    Gross charge
  48. 48

    Dignity Health - Mercy General Hospital

    Sacramento, CA

    35 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,552
  49. 49

    Riverside Community Hospital

    Riverside, CA

    47 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,939
  50. 50

    Mad River Community Hospital

    Arcata, CA

    Gross charge
  51. 51

    Dignity Health - Memorial Hospital

    Bakersfield, CA

    20 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,136
  52. 52

    St Elizabeth Community Hospital

    Red Bluff, CA

    Gross charge
  53. 53

    San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital

    Banning, CA

    Gross charge
  54. 54

    Antelope Valley Medical Center

    Lancaster, CA

    Gross charge
  55. 55

    Glendale Mem Hospital & Hlth Center

    Glendale, CA

    20 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,668
  56. 56

    Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Los Angeles, CA

    Gross charge
  57. 57

    St. John's Regional Medical Center

    Oxnard, CA

    29 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,058
  58. 58

    St Joseph's Medical Center of Stockton

    Stockton, CA

    23 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $10,671
  59. 59

    Community Hospital of San Bernardino

    San Bernardino, CA

    Gross charge
  60. 60

    Community Hospital of Huntington Park

    Huntington Park, CA

    Gross charge
  61. 61

    Saint Agnes Medical Center

    Fresno, CA

    31 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Cash pay $34,721
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,872
  62. 62

    St. Francis Medical Center

    Lynwood, CA

    Gross charge
    Cash pay $9,439
  63. 63

    Marian Regional Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Santa Maria, CA

    13 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,327
  64. 64

    Northridge Hospital Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Northridge, CA

    25 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,548
  65. 65

    Doctors Hospital of Manteca

    Manteca, CA

    Gross charge
  66. 66

    Valley Presbyterian Hospital

    Van Nuys, CA

    13 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,149
  67. 67

    Woodland Memorial Hospital

    Woodland, CA

    Gross charge
  68. 68

    St Bernardine Medical Center

    San Bernardino, CA

    18 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,385
  69. 69

    Dignity Health - Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital

    Grass Valley, CA

    Gross charge
  70. 70

    UCSF Health Saint Francis Hospital

    San Francisco, CA

    Gross charge
  71. 71

    Sequoia Hospital

    Redwood City, CA

    Gross charge
  72. 72

    AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center

    Anaheim, CA

    Gross charge
  73. 73

    French Hospital Medical Center

    San Luis Obispo, CA

    12 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,209
  74. 74

    Dignity Health - Dominican Hospital

    Santa Cruz, CA

    13 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,055
  75. 75

    Desert Regional Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Palm Springs, CA

    Gross charge
  76. 76

    Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

    Colton, CA

    12 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $12,628
  77. 77

    Good Samaritan Hospital, Lp

    Bakersfield, CA

    Gross charge
  78. 78

    Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

    Los Angeles, CA

    Gross charge
  79. 79

    Hi-Desert Medical Center

    Joshua Tree, CA

    Gross charge
  80. 80

    Alhambra Hospital Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Alhambra, CA

    Gross charge
  81. 81

    Dignity Health – Mercy Hospital Downtown

    Bakersfield, CA

    Gross charge
  82. 82

    Providence St. Mary Medical Center

    Apple Valley, CA

    15 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,034
  83. 83

    Loma Linda University Medical Center (Acute Care)

    Loma Linda, CA

    Gross charge
  84. 84

    Marinhealth Medical Center

    Greenbrae, CA

    52 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,041
  85. 85

    Good Samaritan Hospital (Acute Care — San Jose)

    San Jose, CA

    27 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,629
  86. 86

    Community Memorial Hospital - Ventura

    Ventura, CA

    Gross charge
  87. 87

    Dignity Health - Mercy Hospital of Folsom

    Folsom, CA

    Gross charge
  88. 88

    West Anaheim Medical Center

    Anaheim, CA

    Gross charge
    Cash pay $13,184
  89. 89

    Huntington Hospital (Acute Care)

    Pasadena, CA

    20 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,969
  90. 90

    Dignity Health – Mercy Medical Center

    Merced, CA

    Gross charge
  91. 91

    UCSF Health St. Mary's Hospital

    San Francisco, CA

    Gross charge
  92. 92

    Memorial Hospital of Gardena

    Gardena, CA

    Gross charge
  93. 93

    UCLA West Valley Medical Center

    West Hills, CA

    11 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,831
  94. 94

    Clovis Community Medical Center

    Clovis, CA

    13 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $6,710
  95. 95

    Adventist Health Sierra Vista

    San Luis Obispo, CA

    Gross charge
  96. 96

    Mercy San Juan Medical Center

    Carmichael, CA

    14 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,681
  97. 97

    Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center (Acute Care — Thousand Oaks)

    Thousand Oaks, CA

    25 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,821
  98. 98

    La Palma Intercommunity Hospital (Acute Care)

    La Palma, CA

    Gross charge
    Cash pay $12,385
  99. 99

    San Dimas Community Hospital

    San Dimas, CA

    Gross charge
    Cash pay $11,549
  100. 100

    Methodist Hospital of Sacramento

    Sacramento, CA

    Gross charge
  101. 101

    East Los Angeles Doctors Hospital

    Los Angeles, CA

    Gross charge
  102. 102

    San Ramon Regional Medical Center

    San Ramon, CA

    14 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,293
  103. 103
    Gross charge
  104. 104

    Desert Valley Hospital

    Victorville, CA

    Gross charge
    Cash pay $12,533
  105. 105

    Monterey Park Hospital AHMC

    Monterey Park, CA

    Gross charge
  106. 106

    Cedar-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital

    Marina Del Rey, CA

    Gross charge
  107. 107

    Shasta Regional Medical Center

    Redding, CA

    22 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Cash pay $11,701
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,631
  108. 108

    Loma Linda University Medical Center-Murrieta

    Murrieta, CA

    21 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,903
  109. 109

    Coast Plaza Hospital

    Norwalk, CA

    Gross charge
  110. 110

    Loma Linda University Children's Hospital

    Loma Linda, CA

    Gross charge
  111. 111

    Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital

    Los Angeles, CA

    Gross charge
  112. 112

    Mountains Community Hospital

    Lake Arrowhead, CA

    Gross charge
  113. 113

    Mercy Medical Center of Mount Shasta

    Mount Shasta, CA

    Gross charge
  114. 114
    Gross charge
    Cash pay $14,523
  115. 115

    Mark Twain Medical Center

    San Andreas, CA

    Gross charge
  116. 116

    Watsonville Community Hospital

    Watsonville, CA

    Gross charge
  117. 117

    Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian

    Newport Beach, CA

    19 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $7,567
  118. 118

    Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center

    Pomona, CA

    21 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,885
  119. 119

    Sierra View Medical Center

    Porterville, CA

    11 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $8,782
  120. 120

    Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley

    Pleasanton, CA

    Gross charge
  121. 121

    Northbay Medical Center

    Fairfield, CA

    22 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,634
  122. 122

    Los Angeles General Medical Center

    Los Angeles, CA

    18 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $18,562
  123. 123

    Stanford Health Care

    Stanford, CA

    37 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $12,355
  124. 124

    UCSF Medical Center

    San Francisco, CA

    35 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $13,423
  125. 125

    University of California Davis Medical Center

    Sacramento, CA

    19 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $10,901
  126. 126

    Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

    Los Angeles, CA

    62 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,680
  127. 127

    Keck Hospital of USC

    Los Angeles, CA

    Gross charge
  128. 128
    Gross charge
  129. 129

    San Gabriel Valley Medical Center

    San Gabriel, CA

    Gross charge
  130. 130

    AHMC Seton Medical Center

    Daly City, CA

    Gross charge
  131. 131

    Whittier Hospital Medical Center

    Whittier, CA

    Gross charge
  132. 132

    Greater El Monte Community Hospital

    South El Monte, CA

    Gross charge
  133. 133

    Community Regional Medical Center

    Fresno, CA

    20 Medicare stays/yr
    Gross charge
    Medicare pays (avg) $9,486

Compare heart attack pricing in nearby states