Lab tests CPT 84450 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

AST liver test cost in Tucson, AZ — inpatient

In Tucson, AZ, 3 hospitals list a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test as an inpatient: from $5.77 to $12.60, with a median of $5.99. The lowest listed price is at Banner University Med Center South — $0.22 less than the median here. Across Arizona, the median is $14.40 at 33 hospitals.

Cash prices at 3 facilities for code 84450, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 2, 2026 and Apr 30, 2026.

Lowest$5.77Banner University Med Center South
Median$5.99half pay less
Highest$12.60in this market
Difference2.2×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Tucson, AZ.

median
Lowest $5.77Highest $44.80

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Banner University Med Center South lowest Tucson, AZ LAB TRANSFERASE AMINO ASPARTATE $5.77 $37.00 $16.65–$29.60 84% Mar 2, 2026
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Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson, AZ LAB TRANSFERASE AMINO ASPARTATE $5.99 $37.00 $16.65–$29.60 84% Mar 2, 2026
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Banner University Med Center South Tucson, AZ LAB TRANSFERASE AMINO ASPARTATE NS $11.86 $76.00 $34.20–$60.80 84% Mar 2, 2026
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Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson, AZ LAB TRANSFERASE AMINO ASPARTATE NS $12.31 $76.00 $34.20–$60.80 84% Mar 2, 2026
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Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ HC Scot (Ast) $12.60 $45.00 — 72% Apr 30, 2026
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Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ HC Scot (Ast) $12.60 $45.00 — 72% Apr 30, 2026
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Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ HC Ast(Sgot) $44.80 $160.00 — 72% Apr 30, 2026
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Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ HC Ast(Sgot) $44.80 $160.00 — 72% Apr 30, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $5.77, median $5.99, highest $12.60 — a 2.2× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $5.99 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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.