Lactic acid test cost in Lexington, KY — inpatient
In Lexington-Fayette, KY, 5 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test as an inpatient: from $21.75 to $80.58, with a median of $64.27. The lowest listed price is at Eastern State Hospital — $42.52 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $68.40 at 77 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 2 cities for code 83605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Apr 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern State Hospital lowest Lexington, KY · (859) 246-8000 LACTATE WHOLE BLOOD | $21.75 | $21.75 | $473.00–$1,143.91 | — | — source file |
| University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc 489 D-Lactate Mayo-So+ | $53.76 | $134.40 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph East Lexington, KY · (859) 967-5000 HC LAB LACTATE CSF | $64.27 | $160.00 | $145.60 | 60% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph East Lexington, KY · (859) 967-5000 HC LAB LACTIC ACID | $64.27 | $160.00 | $145.60 | 60% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC LAB LACTATE CSF | $75.38 | $160.00 | $145.60 | 53% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC LAB LACTIC ACID | $75.38 | $160.00 | $145.60 | 53% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc Assay Of Lactic Acid - Poct Lactic Acid (Lactate) | $75.91 | $189.78 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc Poc- Gem 5000 Lactate | $75.91 | $189.78 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph Jessamine Nicholasville, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC LAB LACTATE CSF | $80.58 | $160.00 | $145.60 | 50% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| CHI Saint Joseph Health - Saint Joseph Jessamine Nicholasville, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC LAB LACTIC ACID | $80.58 | $160.00 | $145.60 | 50% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $21.75, median $64.27, highest $80.58 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $80.58 — 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 4 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 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 83605 ($81.83). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington, KYHc Assay Of Lactic Acid - Lactic Acid Body Fluid | $5.55 | file |