Lab tests CPT 87040 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Blood culture cost in Culver City, CA — inpatient

In Culver City, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for blood culture for bacteria as an inpatient: from $545.67 to $545.67, with a median of $545.67. Across California, the median is $272.16 at 193 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87040, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 18, 2026 and Mar 18, 2026.

Lowest$545.67Southern California Hospital at Culver City
Median$545.67half pay less
Highest$545.67in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Southern California Hospital at Culver City Culver City, CA CULTURE,BLOOD (Micro) $545.67 $545.67 $381.97–$463.82 — Mar 18, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $545.67, median $545.67, highest $545.67.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $545.67 — 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 not 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.