Bay Area's hospital costs rising to top in California, but superior care isn't guaranteed

Soon after her colonoscopy, San Francisco resident Mary McClung received a bill from California Pacific Medical Center for $4,871. The amount fell within her high insurance deductible, leaving her responsible.

"Nobody should be billed $4,800 for a colonoscopy. This is wrong," McClung, 56, recalls thinking.

Hospital rates in the Bay Area are among the most expensive in California, propelled by prominent hospitals and networks, including Sutter Health, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and John Muir Health, private and government data show.