Blood culture cost in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $62.01 to $79.80, with a median of $70.91. The lowest listed price is at Curators of the University of Missouri — $8.90 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $110.50 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 87040, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 and Apr 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 CULTURE BLOOD P31022014 | $62.01 | $103.35 | $28.11–$90.95 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 CULTURE BLOOD PRODUCTS P31022017 | $62.01 | $103.35 | $28.11–$90.95 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Boone Hospital Center Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 CULT BLOOD W/PRESUM ID | $79.80 | $133.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $62.01, median $70.91, highest $79.80 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $70.91. 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 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 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.