Blood culture cost in Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $26.40 to $335.00, with a median of $168.35. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $141.95 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $83.80 at 36 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 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 Jan 28, 2026 and Mar 31, 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 CHG BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $26.40 | $33.00 | $6.19–$20.12 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 CHG BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $26.40 | $33.00 | $6.19–$20.12 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC AEROB BACTERIAL BLOOD CULTURE | $38.58 | $48.22 | $10.32–$20.88 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC AEROB BACTERIAL BLOOD CULTURE | $38.58 | $48.22 | $10.32–$20.88 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Culture Blood | $118.95 | $183.00 | $10.00–$183.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Culture Blood | $217.75 | $335.00 | $10.00–$335.00 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC Culture Blood | $335.00 | $335.00 | $10.00–$335.00 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Medical Center - Newton Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Culture Blood | $411.00 | — | $9.09–$41.49 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Culture Blood | $4,283.85 | — | $9.09–$5,077.76 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Catholic Health Initiatives-Iowa West Des Moines, IA HC Culture Blood | $31,924.76 | — | $74.50–$10,409.46 | — | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $26.40, median $168.35, highest $335.00 — a 12.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $168.35. 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 2 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.