Blood culture cost in Pittsburgh, PA — inpatient
In Pittsburgh, PA, 13 hospitals list a cash price for blood culture for bacteria as an inpatient: from $28.11 to $783.60, with a median of $155.40. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Washington — $127.29 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $84.80 at 62 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 8 cities for code 87040, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Apr 14, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Washington lowest Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 BLOOD CULTURE-E | $28.11 | $46.85 | $32.80 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 CULTURE BLOOD | $64.80 | $108.00 | $81.00–$95.04 | 40% | — source file |
| AHN Wexford Hospital Wexford, PA · (412) 295-3319 HC CULT BLOOD ISOL W ID | $65.12 | $88.00 | $6.81–$14.00 | 26% | Apr 14, 2026 source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 .OLD CULTURE BLOOD #3 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 .OLD CULTURE BLOOD #2 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 .OLD CULTURE BLOOD #1 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 .CULT BLOOD SET #4 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 .CULT BLOOD SET #3 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 CULT BLOOD SET #2 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 CULT BLOOD SET #1 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 BLOOD CULTURE | $72.60 | $121.00 | $54.45 | 40% | — source file |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 .OLD CULTURE BLOOD #4 | $72.60 | $121.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 CULTURE BLOOD | $146.40 | $244.00 | $74.66–$219.60 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 CULTURE BLOOD | $155.40 | $259.00 | $88.06–$207.20 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 CULTURE BLOOD | $155.40 | $259.00 | $103.60–$233.10 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 CULTURE BLOOD | $200.40 | $334.00 | $87.17–$283.90 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 CULTURE BLOOD | $225.00 | $375.00 | $130.12–$318.75 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC CULT BACTERIAL AEROBIC BLOOD | $308.40 | $514.00 | $185.04–$472.88 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $308.40 | $514.00 | $185.04–$472.88 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC CULTURE BLOOD | $322.20 | $537.00 | $193.32–$499.41 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 CULT BACTERIAL AEROBIC BLOOD | $783.60 | $1,306.00 | $848.90–$1,110.10 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 BLOOD CULT TRANSFUSION RXN | $783.60 | $1,306.00 | $848.90–$1,110.10 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 CULTURE BLOOD | $783.60 | $1,306.00 | $848.90–$1,110.10 | 40% | Mar 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $28.11, median $155.40, highest $783.60 — a 27.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $150.90 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 12 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 3 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.