BUN test cost in Cincinnati, OH — inpatient
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 12 hospitals list a cash price for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test as an inpatient: from $11.85 to $52.80, with a median of $49.40. The lowest listed price is at St Elizabeth Edgewood — $37.55 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $23.38 at 130 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 8 cities for code 84520, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Elizabeth Edgewood lowest Edgewood, KY · (859) 301-2000 HB BUN-REF LAB+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $11.85 | $11.85 | — | — |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Bun /Urea Nitrogen File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $22.40 | $56.00 | — | 60% |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Bun source file | $24.48 | $48.00 | $23.04–$48.00 | 49% |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Poc Urea Nitrogen Quant+1 more line at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $33.00 | $55.00 | — | 40% |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Urea Nitrogen - Quant (Bun)+1 more line at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $33.00 | $55.00 | — | 40% |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Blood Urea Nitrogen Body Fluid Mayo File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $36.00 | $90.00 | — | 60% |
| Atrium Medical Center Middletown, OH · (513) 420-5102 HC UREA NITROGEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $46.00 | $46.00 | — | — |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Assay of Urea Nitrogen Quantitative source file | $52.80 | $88.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Assay of Urea Nitrogen Quantitative source file | $52.80 | $88.00 | — | 40% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Assay of Urea Nitrogen Quantitative source file | $52.80 | $88.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Assay of Urea Nitrogen Quantitative source file | $52.80 | $88.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Assay of Urea Nitrogen Quantitative source file | $52.80 | $88.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Assay of Urea Nitrogen Quantitative source file | $52.80 | $88.00 | — | 40% |
| Atrium Medical Center Middletown, OH · (513) 420-5102 HC UREA NITROGEN (BUN) File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.00 | $56.00 | — | — |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Urea Body Fluid, Lc File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $76.48 | $191.20 | — | 60% |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC So Bun source file | $87.60 | $146.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC So Bun source file | $87.60 | $146.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC So Bun source file | $87.60 | $146.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC So Bun source file | $87.60 | $146.00 | — | 40% |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC So Bun source file | $87.60 | $146.00 | — | 40% |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC So Bun source file | $87.60 | $146.00 | — | 40% |
Inpatient: lowest $11.85, median $49.40, highest $52.80 — a 4.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $33.00 — 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
A BUN test measures urea nitrogen, a waste product removed by the kidneys. It is used with creatinine to check kidney function and hydration.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 84520 ($34.29). 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.
| Hospital | Cash price | File |
|---|---|---|
| The Craig and Frances Lindner Center of Hope Mason, OHHC POC UREA NITROGEN QUANT | $2.00 | file |
| The Craig and Frances Lindner Center of Hope Mason, OHHC UREA NITROGEN - QUANT (BUN) | $2.00 | file |