Lab tests CPT 84450 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

AST liver test cost in Waterbury, CT — inpatient

In Waterbury, CT, 2 hospitals list a cash price for AST (aspartate aminotransferase) enzyme test as an inpatient: from $15.40 to $23.01, with a median of $19.21. The lowest listed price is at Saint Marys Hospital — $3.81 less than the median here. Across Connecticut, the median is $22.91 at 16 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 84450, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and May 13, 2026.

Lowest$15.40Saint Marys Hospital
Median$19.21half pay less
Highest$23.01in this market
Difference1.5×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 Waterbury, CT.

median
Lowest $15.40Highest $23.01

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Saint Marys Hospital lowest Waterbury, CT HC Ast/Sgot $15.40 $28.00 $4.62–$28.00 45% Mar 31, 2026
source file
UConn Health, Waterbury Hospital Waterbury, CT Aspartate Aminotransferase $23.01 $46.01 — 50% May 13, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $15.40, median $19.21, highest $23.01 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $19.21 — 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.