Blood culture cost in Milwaukee, WI — inpatient
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 13 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria as an inpatient: from $80.00 to $183.70, with a median of $80.00. The lowest listed price is at Aurora West Allis Medical Center and 8 other hospitals. Across Wisconsin, the median is $80.00 at 80 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 87040, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Mar 23, 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora West Allis Medical Center lowest West Allis, WI · (414) 328-6000 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Psychiatric Hospital lowest Wauwatosa, WI · (414) 454-6600 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Sinai Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro lowest Milwaukee, WI CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro lowest Milwaukee, WI · (414) 649-6000 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes South Shore of Aurora Health Care Metro lowest Cudahy, WI CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Summit lowest Summit, WI · (262) 434-1600 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Grafton lowest Grafton, WI · (262) 329-1000 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Washington County lowest Hartford, WI · (262) 673-2300 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha lowest Kenosha, WI · (262) 948-5600 CULTURE, BLOOD | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee Mequon, WI HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $85.33 | $161.00 | $10.84–$47.13 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $85.33 | $161.00 | $10.84–$47.13 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Glendale, WI BLOOD CULTURE AEROBIC | $105.47 | $199.00 | $10.01–$25.17 | 47% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CULTURE BLOOD | $183.70 | $334.00 | $233.80–$317.30 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CULTURE BLOOD | $183.70 | $334.00 | $233.80–$317.30 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $80.00, median $80.00, highest $183.70 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $80.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 10 it is 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.