CEA test cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 20 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test as an inpatient: from $31.81 to $372.00, with a median of $99.75. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South — $67.94 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $94.63 at 32 hospitals.
Cash prices at 20 facilities across 14 cities for code 82378, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Aug 6, 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Chg Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea+1 more line at this price File of Mar 13, 2026 · source file | $31.81 | $70.68 | $16.72–$394.86 | 55% |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Chg Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea+1 more line at this price File of Mar 13, 2026 · source file | $36.17 | $80.37 | $16.72–$475.07 | 55% |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen - Cea (Carcinoembryoni File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $53.20 | $76.00 | $26.60–$530.75 | 30% |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen - Cea (Carcinoembryoni File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $53.20 | $76.00 | $19.96–$82.30 | 30% |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen - Cea (Carcinoembryoni File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $53.20 | $76.00 | $26.60–$77.91 | 30% |
| Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital Brockton, MA · (508) 941-7000 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $54.60 | $78.00 | — | 30% |
| Emerson Hospital Concord, MA · (978) 369-1400 REF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of May 18, 2026 · source file | $57.00 | $76.00 | $69.54 | 25% |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Plymouth Plymouth, MA · (508) 746-2000 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $65.00 | $65.00 | — | — |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea+1 more line at this price File of Mar 13, 2026 · source file | $83.25 | $185.00 | $16.40–$512.54 | 55% |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Carcinoembryonic Agent File of Mar 20, 2026 · source file | $97.50 | $97.50 | $16.72–$130.87 | — |
| Winchester Hospital Winchester, MA · (781) 729-9000 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $102.00 | $102.00 | — | — |
| Emerson Hospital Concord, MA · (978) 369-1400 CEA TO NEPS+1 more line at this price File of May 18, 2026 · source file | $110.25 | $147.00 | $134.50 | 25% |
| Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, Burlington Burlington, MA · (781) 744-5100 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $124.00 | $124.00 | — | — |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton Milton, MA · (617) 696-4600 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $127.00 | $127.00 | — | — |
| Anna Jaques Hospital Newburyport, MA · (978) 463-1000 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $144.00 | $144.00 | — | — |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital - Needham Needham, MA · (781) 453-3002 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $153.00 | $153.00 | — | — |
| New England Baptist Hospital Boston, MA · (617) 754-5800 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $155.00 | $155.00 | — | — |
| Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 667-7000 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $178.00 | $178.00 | — | — |
| PAM Health Specialty Hospital of Stoughton Stoughton, MA Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file | $180.96 | $180.96 | $126.67–$153.82 | — |
| Mount Auburn Hospital Cambridge, MA · (617) 492-3500 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $188.00 | $188.00 | — | — |
| Exeter Hospital Exeter, NH · (603) 778-7311 CHG CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $372.00 | $372.00 | — | — |
Inpatient: lowest $31.81, median $99.75, highest $372.00 — a 11.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 25 facilities here, median $124.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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
A CEA test measures a protein that can be high in colorectal and some other cancers. It is used to follow treatment and watch for recurrence, not to screen healthy people.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.