CEA test cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test as an inpatient: from $11.48 to $54.62, with a median of $34.24. The lowest listed price is at Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner — $22.76 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $58.66 at 55 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 4 cities for code 82378, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner lowest Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC CEA, FLUID | $11.48 | $41.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC CEA | $32.56 | $148.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC CEA | $34.24 | $107.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC CEA, FLUID | $36.30 | $165.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 CEA BF LC | $39.00 | $65.00 | $36.60–$65.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN | $44.40 | $74.00 | $41.66–$74.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 BF CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN | $44.40 | $74.00 | $41.66–$74.00 | 40% | — source file |
| St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 529-6600 CARCINOEMBRYONIC AG (CEA) | $54.62 | $154.88 | $18.58–$70.94 | 65% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC CEA | $178.64 | $638.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $11.48, median $34.24, highest $54.62 — a 4.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $41.72 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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
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.