CEA test cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 15 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test: from $14.79 to $223.00, with a median of $44.40. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center — $29.61 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $86.04 at 130 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 cities for code 82378, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Cea-Carcinoembryonic Antigen source file | $14.79 | $29.00 | $13.92–$29.00 | 49% |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Cea (82378) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $35.56 | $47.41 | — | 25% |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC So Cea source file | $44.40 | $74.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC So Cea source file | $44.40 | $74.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC So Cea source file | $44.40 | $74.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC So Cea source file | $44.40 | $74.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC So Cea source file | $44.40 | $74.00 | — | 40% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC So Cea source file | $44.40 | $74.00 | — | 40% |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Carcinoemryonic Antigen (Cea), Lc File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $54.00 | $135.00 | — | 60% |
| St Elizabeth Edgewood Edgewood, KY · (859) 301-2000 HB CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN, FLUID - REF LAB+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.88 | $56.88 | — | — |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Cea (82378) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $58.30 | $77.74 | — | 25% |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Cea (82378) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $64.79 | $86.39 | — | 25% |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Cea Plasma File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $116.40 | $291.00 | — | 60% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea source file | $122.40 | $204.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea source file | $122.40 | $204.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea source file | $122.40 | $204.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea source file | $122.40 | $204.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea source file | $122.40 | $204.00 | — | 40% |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Carcinoembryonic Antigen-Cea source file | $141.78 | $278.00 | $18.96–$278.00 | 49% |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Cea (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $160.80 | $268.00 | — | 40% |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Cea (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $160.80 | $268.00 | — | 40% |
| Atrium Medical Center Middletown, OH · (513) 420-5102 HC CEA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $223.00 | $223.00 | — | — |
Outpatient: lowest $14.79, median $44.40, highest $223.00 — a 15.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $44.40. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.