Blood culture cost in Austin, TX — inpatient
In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX, 13 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria as an inpatient: from $37.17 to $238.14, with a median of $205.15. The lowest listed price is at Ascension Seton — $167.98 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $205.15 at 101 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 87040, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 5, 2026 and Jun 13, 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 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Seton lowest Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 BLOOD CULTURE | $37.17 | $103.25 | $7.37–$76.79 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX BLOOD CULTURE | $72.28 | $103.25 | $7.37–$76.79 | 30% | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC CULTURE - BLOOD ANAEROBIC | $146.73 | $219.00 | $87.60–$208.05 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Ascension Seton Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 CULTURE BLOOD | $176.76 | $491.00 | $7.37–$220.95 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX BLOOD CULTURE | $183.78 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX BLOOD CULTURE | $183.78 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Smithville, TX · (512) 237-3214 CULTURE BLOOD | $183.78 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX BLOOD CULTURE | $183.78 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Kyle, TX · (512) 324-5000 BLOOD CULTURE | $183.78 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX BLOOD CULTURE | $183.78 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX · (512) 528-7000 CULTURE BLOOD BACTER | $196.38 | $545.49 | $7.37–$245.47 | 64% | — source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$239.34 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$239.34 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Austin Austin, TX · (512) 654-2100 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$239.34 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$239.34 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$239.34 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda Buda, TX · (737) 999-6200 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$239.34 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$222.25 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$222.25 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Emergency Medical Center - Cedar Park Cedar Park, TX HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$222.25 | 40% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$273.54 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$273.54 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Taylor Taylor, TX · (512) 352-7611 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - QUANTITATIVE | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$273.54 | 40% | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Pflugerville Pflugerville, TX · (512) 654-6100 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock Round Rock, TX · (512) 509-0401 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA - BLOOD TXFUSION REACTION | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Lakeway Lakeway, TX HC CULT,BACT - BLOOD,AEROBIC W/ISO | $205.15 | $341.92 | $188.06–$307.73 | 40% | Jun 13, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC CULTURE - BLOOD/BONE MARROW | $226.46 | $338.00 | $135.20–$321.10 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Ascension Seton Luling, TX · (830) 875-7000 CULTURE BLOOD | $238.14 | $661.50 | $7.37–$297.68 | 64% | — source file |
| Ascension Seton Austin, TX CULTURE BLOOD | $357.35 | $510.50 | $7.37–$229.72 | 30% | — source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital - Austin Austin, TX · (832) 824-1100 TC PREPARATION OF T-LYMPHOCYTES 2 | $3,006.29 | $4,487.00 | $1,794.80–$4,262.65 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $37.17, median $205.15, highest $238.14 — a 6.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $205.15 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 13 of 13 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 blood culture checks for bacteria or yeast in the blood. It is ordered for fever with signs of a serious infection, such as sepsis.
What the price covers
The price is usually for one culture set. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.