Lactic acid test cost in Louisville, KY — inpatient
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 13 hospitals list a cash price for lactate (lactic acid) blood test as an inpatient: from $9.60 to $114.00, with a median of $47.12. The lowest listed price is at Norton Hospital and 4 other hospitals — $37.52 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $68.40 at 77 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 6 cities for code 83605, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2026 and Jun 3, 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Hospital lowest Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB GM - LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $9.60 | $48.00 | $7.92–$44.26 | 80% |
| Norton Brownsboro Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB GM - LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $9.60 | $48.00 | $7.92–$44.26 | 80% |
| Norton West Louisville Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB GM - LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $9.60 | $48.00 | $7.92–$44.26 | 80% |
| Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB GM - LACTIC ACID File of Feb 13, 2026 · source file | $9.60 | $48.00 | $7.92–$44.26 | 80% |
| Norton Children's Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB GM - LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $9.60 | $48.00 | $7.92–$40.80 | 80% |
| Norton Children's Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID (SO) File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $14.20 | $71.00 | $11.72–$60.35 | 80% |
| Norton Hospital Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LACTIC ACID (SO) File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $14.20 | $71.00 | $11.72–$65.46 | 80% |
| Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID (SO) File of Feb 13, 2026 · source file | $14.20 | $71.00 | $11.72–$65.46 | 80% |
| Norton West Louisville Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID (SO) File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $14.20 | $71.00 | $11.72–$65.46 | 80% |
| Norton Brownsboro Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID (SO) File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $14.20 | $71.00 | $11.72–$65.46 | 80% |
| Norton Clark Hospital Jeffersonville, IN · (812) 283-2147 HB LACTIC ACID File of Jun 3, 2026 · source file | $30.10 | $215.00 | $92.49–$188.13 | 86% |
| UofL Health -Shelbyville Shelbyville, KY · (502) 647-4000 ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $47.12 | $124.00 | $44.08–$124.00 | 62% |
| Saints Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Louisville, KY ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID+1 more line at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $52.92 | $147.00 | $44.10–$147.00 | 64% |
| University of Louisville Hospital Louisville, KY · (502) 562-3000 ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID+2 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $57.36 | $239.00 | $66.01–$239.00 | 76% |
| CHI Saint Joseph Flaget Memorial Hospital Bardstown, KY · (502) 350-5000 HC LAB LACTIC ACID+1 more line at this price File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $61.53 | $145.00 | $105.85–$131.95 | 58% |
| UofL Health-Louisville – South Hospital Shepherdville, KY ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $62.55 | $139.00 | $41.70–$139.00 | 55% |
| UofL Health - Jewish Hospital and Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Louisville, KY · (502) 587-4011 ASSAY OF LACTIC ACID File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $67.95 | $151.00 | $53.68–$151.00 | 55% |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 LACTATE (LACTIC ACID) File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $114.00 | $190.00 | $3.97–$26.38 | 40% |
| Norton Brownsboro Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $153.40 | $767.00 | $126.56–$707.17 | 80% |
| Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID File of Feb 13, 2026 · source file | $153.40 | $767.00 | $126.56–$707.17 | 80% |
| Norton Children's Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $153.40 | $767.00 | $126.56–$651.95 | 80% |
| Norton Hospital Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $153.40 | $767.00 | $126.56–$707.17 | 80% |
| Norton West Louisville Hospital Louisville, KY HB LACTIC ACID File of Feb 11, 2026 · source file | $153.40 | $767.00 | $126.56–$707.17 | 80% |
Inpatient: lowest $9.60, median $47.12, highest $114.00 — a 11.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $57.36 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 12 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.