Lab tests CPT 85018 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Hemoglobin test cost in Cincinnati, OH — inpatient

In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 14 hospitals list a cash price for hemoglobin blood test as an inpatient: from $7.11 to $25.80, with a median of $20.40. The lowest listed price is at St Elizabeth Edgewood — $13.29 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $16.20 at 131 hospitals.

Cash prices at 14 facilities across 8 cities for code 85018, 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.

Lowest$7.11St Elizabeth Edgewood
Median$20.40half pay less
Highest$25.80in this market
Difference3.6×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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.

median
Lowest $7.11Highest $25.80

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
St Elizabeth Edgewood lowest Edgewood, KY · (859) 301-2000 HB OH POC HEMOGLOBIN $7.11 $7.11 — — Apr 1, 2026
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St Elizabeth Edgewood lowest Edgewood, KY · (859) 301-2000 HB HEMOGLOBIN $7.11 $7.11 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Hemoglobin $8.08 $10.78 — 25% Apr 1, 2026
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The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Hemoglobin $8.08 $10.78 — 25% Apr 1, 2026
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Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Hemoglobin $13.26 $26.00 $12.48–$26.00 49% —
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Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Hemoglobin $16.00 $40.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
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Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Abg Hemoglobin Resp-Gv $16.00 $40.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
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Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Blood Count Hemoglobin $20.40 $34.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Blood Count Hemoglobin $20.40 $34.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Blood Count Hemoglobin $20.40 $34.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Blood Count Hemoglobin $20.40 $34.00 — 40% —
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Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Blood Count Hemoglobin $20.40 $34.00 — 40% —
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The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Blood Count Hemoglobin $20.40 $34.00 — 40% —
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Atrium Medical Center Middletown, OH · (513) 420-5102 HC HEMOGLOBIN POCT $22.00 $22.00 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Atrium Medical Center Middletown, OH · (513) 420-5102 HC HEMOGLOBIN $22.00 $22.00 — — Apr 1, 2026
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West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Poc Hemoglobin $25.80 $43.00 — 40% Jul 1, 2026
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West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Hemoglobin $25.80 $43.00 — 40% Jul 1, 2026
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University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Hemoglobin $25.80 $43.00 — 40% Jul 1, 2026
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University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Poc Hemoglobin $25.80 $43.00 — 40% Jul 1, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $7.11, median $20.40, highest $25.80 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $20.40 — 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 hemoglobin test measures the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. It is used to check for anemia or bleeding and to follow treatment.

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 85018 ($24.60). 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.

The Craig and Frances Lindner Center of Hope Mason, OHHC HEMOGLOBIN $1.00 file