AST liver test cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test as an inpatient: from $9.28 to $35.27, with a median of $13.66. The lowest listed price is at St Bernard Parish Hospital — $4.38 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $18.25 at 56 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 84450, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 16, 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Bernard Parish Hospital lowest Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC AST SGOT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $9.28 | $29.00 | — | 68% |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC AST SGOT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $9.90 | $45.00 | — | 78% |
| The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC AST SGOT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $13.32 | $36.00 | — | 63% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC AST SGOT File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $14.00 | $50.00 | — | 72% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC AST SGOT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $15.12 | $56.00 | — | 73% |
| St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 529-6600 LCMC AST (SGOT)+1 more line at this price File of Aug 17, 2026 · source file | $35.27 | $100.00 | $5.08–$45.80 | 65% |
Inpatient: lowest $9.28, median $13.66, highest $35.27 — a 3.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $15.18 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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
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.