AST liver test cost in Washington, DC
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 7 hospitals list a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test: from $5.00 to $90.50, with a median of $90.50. The lowest listed price is at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center — $85.50 less than the median here.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 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 Apr 1, 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center lowest Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl Ast | $5.00 | $10.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Medical Center Ranson, WV · (304) 728-1600 TRANSFERASE (AST) (SGOT) | $48.50 | $97.00 | — | 50% | — source file |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl Ast (Sgot) | $65.50 | $131.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl Sgot(Ast)(Nash) | $65.50 | $131.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC TRANSFERASE ASPARTATE AMINO | $90.50 | $181.00 | $5.18–$141.18 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC TRANSFERASE ASPARTATE AMINO | $90.50 | $181.00 | $5.18–$141.18 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC TRANSFERASE ASPARTATE AMINO | $90.50 | $181.00 | $5.18–$141.18 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC TRANSFERASE ASPARTATE AMINO | $90.50 | $181.00 | $5.18–$141.18 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC TRANSFERASE ASPARTATE AMINO | $90.50 | $181.00 | $5.18–$141.18 | 50% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $5.00, median $90.50, highest $90.50 — a 18.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $90.50. 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 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 84450 ($36.78). 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.
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center Woodbridge, VAChgl (Qu) Porphobilinogen, 24 Hr Ur, S/O | $0.50 | file |