CEA test cost in Washington, DC — inpatient
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 9 hospitals list a cash price for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) test as an inpatient: from $70.00 to $234.51, with a median of $189.50. The lowest listed price is at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center — $119.50 less than the median here. Across District of Columbia, the median is $206.28 at 3 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 7 cities for code 82378, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 2, 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center lowest Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl (Qu) Cea, Carcinoembryonic Antigen, Pancreatic Cyst Fluid, S/O File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $70.00 | $140.00 | — | 50% |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl Cea Fluid+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $184.00 | $368.00 | — | 50% |
| Children's National Hospital Washington, DC · (202) 476-5000 Carcinoembryonic Antigen File of Apr 2, 2026 · source file | $188.00 | $376.00 | $157.92–$205.67 | 50% |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $189.50 | $379.00 | $14.35–$295.62 | 50% |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $189.50 | $379.00 | $14.35–$295.62 | 50% |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $189.50 | $379.00 | $14.35–$295.62 | 50% |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $189.50 | $379.00 | $14.35–$295.62 | 50% |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $189.50 | $379.00 | $14.35–$295.62 | 50% |
| MedStar Georgetown Hospital Northwest Washington, DC · (202) 784-3000 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $206.28 | $317.36 | $111.08–$285.62 | 35% |
| MedStar Washington Hospital Center Washington, DC · (202) 877-7000 CARCINOEMBRYONIC ANTIGEN CEA+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $234.51 | $360.78 | $104.63–$306.66 | 35% |
Inpatient: lowest $70.00, median $189.50, highest $234.51 — a 3.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $189.50 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 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.