CEA test cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 14 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test: from $50.70 to $315.76, with a median of $114.74. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital Jefferson and 3 other hospitals — $64.04 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $102.00 at 61 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 13 cities for code 82378, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 6, 2026 and Feb 9, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson lowest Festus, MO · (636) 933-1000 Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea | $50.70 | $78.00 | $17.06–$42.66 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington lowest Washington, MO · (636) 239-8000 Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea | $50.70 | $78.00 | $17.06–$32.09 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital South lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea | $50.70 | $78.00 | $5.07–$78.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 251-6000 Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea | $50.70 | $78.00 | $17.06–$42.66 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital Hospital Sisters Third Order of St Francis Breese, IL · (618) 526-4511 HC CARBINOEMBRYONIC AG (CEA) | $67.68 | $94.00 | $8.40–$94.00 | 28% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC CARBINOEMBRYONIC AG (CEA) | $103.68 | $144.00 | $19.56–$144.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Touchette Regional Hospital Cahokia Heights, IL · (618) 332-3060 Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) | $106.33 | $171.50 | $6.52–$163.00 | 38% | — source file |
| Community Hospital of Staunton Staunton, IL · (618) 635-2200 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN | $123.15 | $246.30 | $71.21–$224.13 | 50% | Feb 9, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital South Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Carcinoembryonic Ag Cea Fluid | $125.45 | $193.00 | $17.06–$42.66 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO · (636) 239-8000 Carcinoembryonic Ag Cea Fluid | $127.40 | $196.00 | $17.06–$32.09 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 251-6000 Carcinoembryonic Ag Cea Fluid | $139.10 | $214.00 | $17.06–$42.66 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Carcinoembryonic Ag Cea Fluid | $140.40 | $216.00 | $18.96–$26.87 | 35% | — source file |
| Anderson Hospital Maryville, IL · (618) 288-5711 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN | $150.25 | $300.50 | $17.72–$270.45 | 50% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Carcinoembryonic Antigen Cea | $157.95 | $243.00 | $18.96–$26.87 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO · (636) 933-1000 Carcinoembryonic Ag Cea Fluid | $172.25 | $265.00 | $17.06–$42.66 | 35% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC CARBINOEMBRYONIC AG (CEA) | $177.84 | $247.00 | $8.82–$247.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Carlinville Area Hospital Carlinville, IL · (217) 854-3141 CEA REF | $179.20 | $256.00 | $92.16–$365.71 | 30% | — source file |
| St Elizabeths Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis O'Fallon, IL · (618) 234-2120 HC CARBINOEMBRYONIC AG (CEA) | $305.28 | $424.00 | $8.40–$424.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 L480095 CEA SM | $315.76 | $526.26 | $526.26 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $50.70, median $114.74, highest $315.76 — a 6.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 11 facilities here, median $177.84. 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 10 of 14 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.