Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) cost in CA
What a tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) costs at CA hospitals — and the fair price to aim for.
Typical commercial prices here are +23% above the fair benchmark (1.23×) even after accounting for local nurse/doctor wages and patient complexity.
Balances commercial hospital prices against CMS clinical safety, infection control, and patient experience.
Aligned Regional Benchmark Peer
San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital prices shoppable and inpatient services (1.2× to 1.1× Medicare, divergence 0.92×) in alignment with regional hospital peers (0.97× Fair BaseRate). Reviewing plan-specific negotiated rates and cash discounts helps lock in the lowest out-of-pocket tier.
Where They're Good (Patient & Payer Edge)
- Elective shoppable care is priced 3% below peer Fair BaseRate (0.97×)
- Self-pay cash beats commercial insurance on 41% of shoppable procedures (99/100 Cash Honesty)
- CMS clinical safety score (63/100 safety score) with 66% patient recommendation
- IRS 501(c)(3) charity care provides free care up to 200% FPL and discounted care up to 400% FPL (14.6% AGB cap)
Where You Can Get Burned (Markup Traps)
- Even at low-cost facilities (1.23× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
- Commercial insurance median sits at 1.02× Fair BaseRate (1.2× Medicare), so insured patients should always compare the self-pay cash price before paying.
- Even at low-cost facilities (1.23× Fair BaseRate), out-of-network or unnegotiated chargemaster bills can exceed commercial medians — confirm in-network status or request a self-pay cash quote up front.
- Unnegotiated chargemaster list prices average 11.2× Medicare (14¢ true HCRIS cost per $1 gross)
Pre-scheduled outpatient procedures where patients can comparison-shop.
Emergency, inpatient DRG, lab, and specialty drug lines billed after admission.
Detects median-gaming when upper-quartile codes spike above the p50 median.
In general, CA hospitals charge about the fair price for this. how we calculate the BaseRate →
Compared with the rest of the country, CA’s fair BaseRate ($69) is above the national fair price of $59.
Cheapest CA hospitals for a tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
- San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital · Banning $22
- Kern Medical Center · Bakersfield $23
- Menifee Global Medical Center · Sun City $34
- St Rose Hospital · Hayward $36
- Huntington Hospital · Pasadena $38
- Jewish Home & Rehab Center · San Francisco $39
- UCSF Health St. Mary's Hospital · San Francisco $40
- Watsonville Community Hospital · Watsonville $41
- Marshall Medical Center · Placerville $41
- Community Regional Medical Center · Fresno $43
- Clovis Community Medical Center · Clovis $43
- Fresno Surgical Hospital · Fresno $43
- Mountains Community Hospital · Lake Arrowhead $43
- Eisenhower Medical Center · Rancho Mirage $44
- Arrowhead Regional Medical Center · Colton $44
Audit a Bill or Quote at CA Hospital Benchmark (Zero PHI Required)
Statutory 501(r) AGB Cap Limits Bill to $60
At 274% FPL (201%–400% FPL tier), 26 U.S.C. § 501(r)(5) caps FAP-eligible bills at Amounts Generally Billed (36.3% of gross = $60).
Compare Prompt-Pay Cash Rate Against Remaining Deductible
Ask CA Hospital Benchmark's billing desk for their written 45 CFR § 180 discounted self-pay cash price and Good Faith Estimate under the No Surprises Act.
Negotiate Toward $69 Fair BaseRate ($40 Medicare)
Your bill ($166) is $97 above the denoised Fair BaseRate ($69) and 4.2× the $40 Medicare rate.