Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Clinton, IA — inpatient
In Clinton, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $21.60 to $111.80, with a median of $66.70. The lowest listed price is at MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center — $45.10 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $60.45 at 77 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 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 Clinton, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center lowest Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 Upper Respiratory Culture-Sendout File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $21.60 | $36.00 | $12.24–$26.28 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 Body Fluid Culture, Sterile - Sendout File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $24.00 | $40.00 | $13.60–$29.20 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 Legionella Species Culture-Sendout+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $29.40 | $49.00 | $16.66–$35.77 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 #LEG-LEGIONELLA CULT. File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $30.00 | $50.00 | $17.00–$36.50 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 GHS CULTURE, THROAT File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $57.00 | $95.00 | $32.30–$69.35 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 Nasopharyngeal Culture+8 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $57.60 | $96.00 | $32.64–$70.08 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 GHS CULTURE, NASAL File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $60.60 | $101.00 | $34.34–$73.73 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 GHS CULTURE, SPUTUM File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $61.20 | $102.00 | $34.68–$74.46 | 40% |
| MercyOne Genesis DeWitt Medical Center Dewitt, IA · (563) 659-4200 GHS CULTURE, EYE+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $67.20 | $112.00 | $38.08–$81.76 | 40% |
| MercyOne Clinton Medical Center Clinton, IA · (563) 244-5555 HC Culture Body Fluid+13 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $111.80 | $172.00 | $8.35–$172.00 | 35% |
Inpatient: lowest $21.60, median $66.70, highest $111.80 — a 5.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $70.60 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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 bacterial culture grows bacteria from a sample such as a wound, throat swab, eye or fluid to find which germ causes an infection. It takes one to three days.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test; collecting the sample may be billed separately.