Electrolyte panel cost in Washington, DC — inpatient
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 9 hospitals list a cash price for electrolyte panel (sodium, potassium, chloride, CO2) as an inpatient: from $51.86 to $200.50, with a median of $112.00. The lowest listed price is at MedStar Washington Hospital Center — $60.14 less than the median here. Across District of Columbia, the median is $89.21 at 3 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 7 cities for code 80051, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center lowest Washington, DC · (202) 877-7000 ELECTROLYTES+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $51.86 | $79.79 | $23.14–$67.82 | 35% |
| MedStar Georgetown Hospital Northwest Washington, DC · (202) 784-3000 ELECTROLYTE PANEL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $89.21 | $137.24 | $48.03–$123.52 | 35% |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl Lyte Poc+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $93.00 | $186.00 | — | 50% |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC ELECTROLYTES WHOLE BLOOD+1 more line at this price source file | $112.00 | $224.00 | $7.01–$174.72 | 50% |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC ELECTROLYTES WHOLE BLOOD+1 more line at this price source file | $112.00 | $224.00 | $7.01–$174.72 | 50% |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC ELECTROLYTES WHOLE BLOOD+1 more line at this price source file | $112.00 | $224.00 | $7.01–$174.72 | 50% |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC ELECTROLYTES WHOLE BLOOD+1 more line at this price source file | $112.00 | $224.00 | $7.01–$174.72 | 50% |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC ELECTROLYTES WHOLE BLOOD+1 more line at this price source file | $112.00 | $224.00 | $7.01–$174.72 | 50% |
| Children's National Hospital Washington, DC · (202) 476-5000 Electrolyte Panel source file | $200.50 | $401.00 | $168.42–$219.35 | 50% |
Inpatient: lowest $51.86, median $112.00, highest $200.50 — a 3.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $112.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
An electrolyte panel measures sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate (CO2) in one blood sample. It checks fluid and acid balance in people with vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems or on diuretics.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.