BUN test cost in Pittsburgh, PA
In Pittsburgh, PA, 17 hospitals list a cash price for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test: from $3.95 to $173.40, with a median of $27.60. The lowest listed price is at Advanced Surgical Hospital — $23.65 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $29.95 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 10 cities for code 84520, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 2, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 2, 2026 and Jul 9, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Surgical Hospital lowest Washington, PA · (724) 884-0710 BUN+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $3.95 | $30.01 | $3.75–$16.51 | 87% |
| Armstrong County Memorial Hospital Kittanning, PA BUN File of Mar 2, 2026 · source file | $10.80 | $36.00 | $3.56–$36.00 | 70% |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 UREA NITROGEN LEVEL TO ASSESS KIDNEY FUNCTION; QUANTITATIVE File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $11.00 | $22.00 | $3.74–$171.55 | 50% |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 ASSAY OF UREA NITROGEN File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $11.50 | $23.00 | $3.74–$171.55 | 50% |
| UPMC Washington Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 BUN-E File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $12.39 | $17.70 | $2.77–$12.74 | 30% |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 BUN - ARTERIAL+2 more lines at this price File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $13.20 | $22.00 | $5.92–$26.96 | 40% |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 UREA NITROGEN P4233+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $16.20 | $27.00 | $3.90–$30.18 | 40% |
| Allegheny Valley Hospital Natrona Heights, PA · (412) 224-5100 HC UREA NITROGEN (BUN) File of Apr 14, 2026 · source file | $24.64 | $32.00 | $1.91–$11.55 | 23% |
| West Penn Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 578-5000 HC UREA NITROGEN (BUN) File of Apr 14, 2026 · source file | $26.28 | $36.00 | $1.97–$13.07 | 27% |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 BUN File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $27.60 | $46.00 | $12.37–$56.37 | 40% |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 BUN (BLOOD UREA NITROGEN)+2 more lines at this price File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $27.60 | $46.00 | $15.50–$35.88 | 40% |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 UREA NITROGEN P4233+2 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $33.60 | $56.00 | $3.29–$50.40 | 40% |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 BUN - ARTERIAL-C+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $46.20 | $77.00 | $3.66–$65.45 | 40% |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 UREA NITROGEN P4233+1 more line at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $58.80 | $98.00 | $3.90–$78.40 | 40% |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC BUN+2 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $63.00 | $105.00 | $3.70–$96.60 | 40% |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 BUN File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $67.20 | $112.00 | $3.52–$100.80 | 40% |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 BLOOD UREA NITROGEN BODY FLUID+2 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $68.40 | $114.00 | $3.41–$96.90 | 40% |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC BUN File of Mar 7, 2026 · source file | $84.60 | $141.00 | $3.67–$119.85 | 40% |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC BUN RATIO WITH EGFR+1 more line at this price File of Mar 7, 2026 · source file | $89.40 | $149.00 | $3.67–$126.65 | 40% |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 UREA NITROGEN P4233+2 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $173.40 | $289.00 | $3.90–$245.65 | 40% |
Outpatient: lowest $3.95, median $27.60, highest $173.40 — a 43.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 18 facilities here, median $39.90. 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 15 of 17 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
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.