Blood culture cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 10 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $62.04 to $683.42, with a median of $316.22. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $254.18 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $300.98 at 14 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 87040, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jun 25, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC CULTURE, BLOOD | $62.04 | $177.24 | $10.32–$99.25 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO · (303) 388-4461 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $91.18 | $130.25 | $9.44–$110.71 | 30% | — source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB CULTURE BLOOD BANK PRODUCTS | $182.00 | $280.00 | $28.00–$257.60 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB CULT BACT BLOOD ISOLATOR | $182.00 | $280.00 | $28.00–$257.60 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB CULT BACT BLOOD | $182.00 | $280.00 | $28.00–$257.60 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Denver Rehabilitation Hospital Denver, CO Blood culture for bacteria | $300.98 | $300.98 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Reunion Rehabilitation Hospital Inverness Englewood, CO Blood culture for bacteria | $300.98 | $300.98 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CULTURE, BACTERIAL B | $395.85 | $609.00 | $60.90–$560.28 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Craig Hospital Englewood, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD W ISOL | $683.42 | $1,793.75 | $8.77–$1,614.38 | 62% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $62.04, median $316.22, highest $683.42 — a 11.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $316.22. 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 4 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.