Blood culture cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 21 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $62.04 to $1,812.01, with a median of $1,001.28. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $939.24 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $209.10 at 46 hospitals.
- The median here, $1,001.28, is 767% above the US median of $115.50.
- That is 97.0× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($10.32).
- 17 of 21 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 21 facilities across 9 cities for code 87040, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 30, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 1, 2026 and Sep 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC CULTURE, BLOOD File of Apr 30, 2026 · source file | $62.04 | $177.24 | $10.32–$99.25 | 65% |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO · (303) 388-4461 HC CULTURE BLOOD File of Mar 1, 2026 · source file | $91.18 | $130.25 | $9.44–$110.71 | 30% |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB CULT BACT BLOOD+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $182.00 | $280.00 | $28.00–$257.60 | 35% |
| Spalding at Psl Denver, CO · (303) 839-6000 CULTURE BLOOD+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $328.13 | $328.13 | $10.32–$295.32 | — |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC CULTURE BLOOD File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC CULTURE BLOOD File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC CULTURE BLOOD File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC CULTURE BLOOD File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CULTURE, BACTERIAL B File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $395.85 | $609.00 | $60.90–$560.28 | 35% |
| Craig Hospital Englewood, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD W ISOL File of Jun 25, 2026 · source file | $683.42 | $1,793.75 | $8.77–$1,614.38 | 62% |
| HCA Healthone Mountain Ridge Thornton, CO · (303) 451-7800 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,001.28 | $1,001.28 | $152.19–$901.15 | — |
| HCA Healthone Northeast ER Thornton, CO · (303) 451-7800 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,001.28 | $1,001.28 | $152.19–$901.15 | — |
| HCA Healthone Presbyterian St Lukes Denver, CO · (303) 839-6000 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,153.50 | $1,153.50 | $738.24 | — |
| HCA Healthone Swedish Englewood, CO · (303) 788-5000 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,157.84 | $1,157.84 | $175.99–$1,042.06 | — |
| HCA Healthone Presbyterian St Lukes Denver, CO · (303) 839-6000 CULTURE STEM CELLS File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,207.00 | $1,207.00 | $772.48 | — |
| HCA Healthone Southwest ER Littleton, CO · (303) 788-5000 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,257.32 | $1,257.32 | $191.11–$1,131.59 | — |
| HCA Healthone Belmar ER Lakewood, CO · (303) 788-5000 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,257.32 | $1,257.32 | $191.11–$1,131.59 | — |
| HCA Healthone Rose Denver, CO · (303) 320-2121 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,422.00 | $1,422.00 | $216.14–$1,279.80 | — |
| HCA Healthone Central Park ER Denver, CO · (303) 320-2121 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,436.00 | $1,436.00 | $218.27–$1,292.40 | — |
| HCA Healthone South Parker ER Parker, CO CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,469.63 | $1,469.63 | $223.38–$1,322.67 | — |
| HCA Healthone Sky Ridge Lone Tree, CO · (720) 225-1000 CULTURE BLOOD File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,469.63 | $1,469.63 | $223.38–$1,322.67 | — |
| Centennial Hospital A Campus of Tmca Englewood, CO · (303) 873-5511 Culture, bacterial; blood, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates (includes anaerobic culture, if appropriate) +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,812.01 | $1,812.01 | $10.32–$1,630.81 | — |
| HCA Healthone Aurora Aurora, CO · (303) 873-5511 Culture, bacterial; blood, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates (includes anaerobic culture, if appropriate) +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,812.01 | $1,812.01 | $10.32–$1,630.81 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $62.04, median $1,001.28, highest $1,812.01 — a 29.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $331.45. 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 4 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 blood culture is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Blood culture explained.