Itemized  ·  Compare  ·  Providence Saint John's Health Center vs MLK Community Hospital

Providence Saint John's Health Center vs MLK Community Hospital.

Side-by-side prices for 31 procedures both hospitals publish, plus CMS quality ratings and metro context. Pulled from each hospital's federally-mandated price transparency file. Providence Saint John's Health Center is cheaper on more procedures (12 vs 8).

Santa Monica, CA
Providence
4/5 CMS
Cheaper on 12 of 31 procedures
vs.
Los Angeles, CA
MLK Community Healthcare
3/5 CMS
Cheaper on 8 of 31 procedures

Head-to-head, by procedure.

Procedure Providence MLK Cheaper
Brain MRI without contrast $2,168 $3,461 Providence ↓
Brain MRI with and without contrast $2,967 $4,846 Providence ↓
Lumbar spine MRI without contrast $2,228 $1,340 MLK ↓
Knee/lower-extremity MRI without contrast $1,790 $4,108 Providence ↓
CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast $1,949 $2,472 Providence ↓
Abdominal ultrasound, complete $627 $1,323 Providence ↓
Mammogram, screening $281 tie
DXA bone density scan $328 tie
Chest X-ray, single view $332 $380 Providence ↓
Comprehensive metabolic panel $28 $254 Providence ↓
Lipid panel $31 $74 Providence ↓
CBC with differential $16 $128 Providence ↓
TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) $39 $25 MLK ↓
Hemoglobin A1c $29 $58 Providence ↓
Urinalysis $26 tie
Inguinal hernia repair, open $2,850 tie
Colonoscopy, diagnostic $611 tie
Upper endoscopy (EGD) with biopsy $587 tie
Echocardiogram, complete with Doppler $1,374 $1,663 Providence ↓
Office visit, established patient, level 3 $201 $129 MLK ↓
Office visit, established patient, level 4 $201 $129 MLK ↓
Lumbar epidural steroid injection $1,199 tie
Polysomnography (sleep study) $30 tie
Septoplasty (deviated septum repair) $2,858 tie
Thyroid ultrasound $382 $117 MLK ↓
New patient office visit, level 3 $201 $129 MLK ↓
New patient office visit, level 4 $201 $129 MLK ↓
Ureteroscopy with lithotripsy (kidney stone) $171 tie
Prostate biopsy $3,584 $1,758 MLK ↓
Carotid duplex ultrasound $38 $255 Providence ↓
Psychotherapy, 45 minutes $251 tie

Patient experience.

CMS HCAHPS patient survey, period ending 03/31/2025. Bold = higher score.

Measure Providence MLK
HCAHPS overall star rating 2/5 3/5
Would definitely recommend 75% 69%
Hospital rating 9 or 10 of 10 74% 67%
Nurses always communicated well 73% 71%
Doctors always communicated well 75% 77%
Given clear info about recovery 78% 87%
Room and bathroom always clean 73% 72%
Staff always explained meds 55% 55%
Quiet at night, always 63% 47%

Add your insurance.

Cash-pay is one number. With your insurance plan, the actual price differs. Pick your insurer in the comparison tool to see plan-specific rates at both hospitals.

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How to read this comparison.

The cash-pay price is what an uninsured patient would be charged at each hospital. It's the cleanest apples-to-apples comparison because it doesn't depend on your insurance plan.

The CMS rating is the federal quality composite, built from ~50 measures spanning safety, mortality, readmission, patient experience, and timeliness. A 5-star hospital may not be the best at every procedure, and a 3-star hospital can have a strong specific service line. Treat the rating as one input, not the answer.

For your specific insurance plan, prices can shift dramatically. Some hospitals negotiate steep discounts with one insurer and not another. Always check the plan-specific rate before you book.