Lab tests CPT 82378 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

CEA test cost in Lexington, KY — inpatient

In Lexington-Fayette, KY, 4 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test as an inpatient: from $27.29 to $100.23, with a median of $86.85. The lowest listed price is at University of Kentucky Hospital — $59.56 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $125.64 at 78 hospitals.

Cash prices at 4 facilities across 2 cities for code 82378, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$27.29University of Kentucky Hospital

Median$86.85half of hospitals charge less

Highest$100.23in this market

Difference3.7×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Lexington-Fayette, KY.

median

Lowest $27.29Highest $106.54

Hospitals, cheapest first

Hospital	Cash price	List price	Insurers pay	Off list
University of Kentucky Hospital lowest Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc 654 Carcinoembryonic Antigen - Cea (Carcinoembryonic Antigen)-So+ File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file	$27.29	$68.22	—	60%
Saint Joseph East Lexington, KY · (859) 967-5000 HC LAB CEA File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file	$79.94	$199.00	$181.09	60%
Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC LAB CEA File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file	$93.75	$199.00	$181.09	53%
CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph Jessamine Nicholasville, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC LAB CEA File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file	$100.23	$199.00	$181.09	50%
University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc Carcinoembryonic Antigen - Cea (Carcinoembryonic Antigen) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file	$106.54	$266.34	—	60%

Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.

Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More

List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More

Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More

Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.

Inpatient: lowest $27.29, median $86.85, highest $100.23 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $106.08 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 3 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.