Blood culture cost in Madison, WI — inpatient
In Madison, WI, 2 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria as an inpatient: from $82.40 to $87.10, with a median of $84.75. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Meriter — $2.35 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $80.00 at 80 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 87040, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 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 Madison, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter lowest Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 CHG BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $82.40 | $103.00 | $6.19–$97.85 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 CULTURE BACTERIAL BLOOD AEROBIC W/ID ISOLATES | $87.10 | $134.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus Divine Savior Hospital Portage, WI · (608) 742-4131 Fac Blood Culture for Bacteria | $87.10 | $134.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UnityPoint Health - Meriter Madison, WI · (608) 417-6210 HC AEROB BACTERIAL BLOOD CULTURE | $136.80 | $171.00 | $39.33–$162.45 | 20% | Jan 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $82.40, median $84.75, highest $87.10 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $84.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.