Lactic acid test cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 15 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test: from $34.71 to $124.00, with a median of $37.80. The lowest listed price is at St Elizabeth Edgewood — $3.09 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $52.00 at 133 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 cities for code 83605, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 1, 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Elizabeth Edgewood lowest Edgewood, KY · (859) 301-2000 HB LACTIC ACID+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $34.71 | $34.71 | — | — |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC POC Lactic Acid+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $35.58 | $47.44 | — | 25% |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC POC Lactic Acid+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.50 | $48.67 | — | 25% |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Lactic Acid+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.50 | $48.67 | — | 25% |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $37.80 | $63.00 | — | 40% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $37.80 | $63.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $37.80 | $63.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $37.80 | $63.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $37.80 | $63.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC So Lactic Acid source file | $37.80 | $63.00 | — | 40% |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Lactate /Lactic Acid File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $46.40 | $116.00 | — | 60% |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $58.20 | $97.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $58.20 | $97.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $58.20 | $97.00 | — | 40% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $58.20 | $97.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $58.20 | $97.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Assay of Lactate source file | $58.20 | $97.00 | — | 40% |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Lactic Acid Blood (Lactate) File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $90.00 | $150.00 | — | 40% |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Lactic Acid Blood (Lactate) File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $90.00 | $150.00 | — | 40% |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Lactate,Blood+2 more lines at this price source file | $115.26 | $226.00 | $11.57–$226.00 | 49% |
| Atrium Medical Center Middletown, OH · (513) 420-5102 HC LACTIC ACID File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $124.00 | $124.00 | — | — |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb D-Lactate Blood source file | $128.52 | $252.00 | $11.57–$252.00 | 49% |
Outpatient: lowest $34.71, median $37.80, highest $124.00 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $37.80. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 lactic acid test measures lactate in the blood. It is used mainly in the emergency department and hospital to look for sepsis, shock or poor blood flow to tissues.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.