AST liver test cost in Harrisburg, PA
In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test: from $5.83 to $25.80, with a median of $10.98. The lowest listed price is at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute — $5.15 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $36.30 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 84450, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute lowest Harrisburg, PA 84450 TRANSFERASE (AST) (SGOT) Tech | $5.83 | $34.00 | $12.81–$27.20 | 83% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA 84450 TRANSFERASE (AST) (SGOT) Tech | $8.12 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA 84450 TRANSFERASE (AST) (SGOT) Tech | $10.70 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA AST-Qst 5174363 | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA SGOT (AST) (SQ) | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA AST-Qst 7490806 | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA LS SGOT (AST) (SQ) | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA Aspartate aminotransferase. | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA MACRO AST | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA SC AST (SQ) | $11.26 | $34.00 | $4.40–$27.20 | 67% | — source file |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals Harrisburg, PA HC SGOT(AST) | $25.80 | $43.00 | $5.13–$39.98 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Carlisle Carlisle, PA HC SGOT(AST) | $25.80 | $43.00 | $5.13–$36.55 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $5.83, median $10.98, highest $25.80 — a 4.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $10.98. 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 6 of 6 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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
AST is an enzyme found in the liver, muscles and heart. It is measured together with ALT to look for liver injury, and the ratio between them gives clues to the cause.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.