Cortisol test cost in Birmingham, AL — inpatient
In Birmingham, AL, 8 hospitals list a cash price for cortisol blood test, total as an inpatient: from $34.50 to $599.00, with a median of $256.56. The lowest listed price is at UAB Medical West — $222.06 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $82.21 at 46 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 4 cities for code 82533, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and Jun 22, 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 Birmingham, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAB Medical West lowest Bessemer, AL · (205) 481-7000 Cortisol Serum File of Jun 22, 2026 · source file | $34.50 | $46.00 | $28.52–$41.40 | 25% |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama – Benjamin Russell Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Cortisol, Total - Cah6+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $53.07 | $123.42 | $83.93–$123.42 | 57% |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC Cortisol, Total - Cah6+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $53.07 | $123.42 | $83.93–$111.08 | 57% |
| Grandview Medical Center Birmingham, AL · (205) 971-1000 L500175 CORTISOL TOT+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $57.12 | $238.00 | $57.12–$214.20 | 76% |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama Birmingham, AL HC Quest CAH Panel 4 � Adj 82533 File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $73.67 | $171.32 | $116.50–$154.19 | 57% |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama – Benjamin Russell Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Quest CAH Panel 4 � Adj 82533+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $73.67 | $171.32 | $116.50–$171.32 | 57% |
| UAB Medical West Bessemer, AL · (205) 481-7000 Cortisol 4 File of Jun 22, 2026 · source file | $121.50 | $162.00 | $100.44–$145.80 | 25% |
| UAB Medical West Bessemer, AL · (205) 481-7000 Cortisol (3 Specimen) File of Jun 22, 2026 · source file | $143.25 | $191.00 | $118.42–$171.90 | 25% |
| Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 877-1000 Hb Total Cortisol - Cortisol File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $456.00 | $456.00 | — | — |
| Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 783-3800 Hb Total Cortisol - Cortisol File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $599.00 | $599.00 | — | — |
| Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster, AL · (205) 620-8100 Hb Total Cortisol - Cortisol File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $599.00 | $599.00 | — | — |
| Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper, AL · (205) 387-4000 Hb Total Cortisol - Cortisol File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $599.00 | $599.00 | — | — |
Inpatient: lowest $34.50, median $256.56, highest $599.00 — a 17.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $254.54 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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 cortisol test measures the main stress hormone made by the adrenal glands. It is used when adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease) or excess cortisol (Cushing's syndrome) is suspected.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.