Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Columbus, OH — inpatient
In Columbus, OH, 18 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $18.00 to $124.15, with a median of $69.13. The lowest listed price is at Fairfield Medical Center — $51.13 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $67.75 at 130 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 12 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 26, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Lowest$18.00Fairfield Medical Center
Median$69.13half of hospitals charge less
Highest$124.15in this market
Difference6.9×highest vs lowest
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Columbus, OH.
median
Lowest $18.00Highest $193.05
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Medical Center lowest Lancaster, OH · (740) 687-8000 Culture, Wound+1 more line at this price File of Feb 26, 2026 · source file | $18.00 | $40.00 | $18.00–$40.00 | 55% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 REF ISOL ID & SUSCEPT File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $37.80 | $42.00 | $19.74–$41.16 | 10% |
| Fairfield Medical Center Lancaster, OH · (740) 687-8000 Culture, Surgical+3 more lines at this price File of Feb 26, 2026 · source file | $52.65 | $117.00 | $52.65–$117.00 | 55% |
| Doctors Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Donor Culture Bacterial Aerobic (Excp Urn Bld Stool), Cell Product File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.55 | $87.00 | — | 35% |
| Pickerington Methodist Hospital Pickerington, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Donor Culture Bacterial Aerobic (Excp Urn Bld Stool), Cell Product File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.55 | $87.00 | — | 35% |
| Dublin Methodist Hospital Dublin, OH · (614) 544-8000 Hc Donor Culture Bacterial Aerobic (Excp Urn Bld Stool), Cell Product File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.55 | $87.00 | — | 35% |
| Riverside Methodist Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 566-5000 Hc Donor Culture Bacterial Aerobic (Excp Urn Bld Stool), Cell Product File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.55 | $87.00 | — | 35% |
| Grant Medical Center Columbus, OH · (614) 566-9164 Hc Donor Culture Bacterial Aerobic (Excp Urn Bld Stool), Cell Product File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.55 | $87.00 | — | 35% |
| Grove City Methodist Grove City, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Donor Culture Bacterial Aerobic (Excp Urn Bld Stool), Cell Product File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.55 | $87.00 | — | 35% |
| Fairfield Medical Center Lancaster, OH · (740) 687-8000 Culture, Genital File of Feb 26, 2026 · source file | $57.60 | $128.00 | $57.60–$128.00 | 55% |
| Licking Memorial Hospital Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 HC Culture Othr Specimn Aerobic - Other Resp+5 more lines at this price source file | $68.70 | $68.70 | $8.45–$68.70 | — |
| Mount Carmel Dublin Dublin, OH · (380) 898-9000 HC Culture Throat+16 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $69.55 | $107.00 | $7.58–$107.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel St Ann's Westerville, OH · (614) 546-4034 HC Culture Bronchial Wash+16 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $69.55 | $107.00 | $7.58–$632.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel Grove City Grove City, OH HC Culture Bronchial Wash+15 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $69.55 | $107.00 | $7.58–$632.00 | 35% |
| Diley Ridge Medical Center Canal Winchester, OH · (614) 838-7911 HC Culture Respiratory+14 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $69.55 | $107.00 | $7.58–$632.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel East Columbus, OH · (614) 234-5000 HC Culture Nasal Pharyngeal+16 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $69.55 | $107.00 | $7.58–$632.00 | 35% |
| Mount Carmel New Albany Surgical Hospital New Albany, OH · (614) 775-6600 HC Culture Bacterial Other Source+14 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $69.55 | $107.00 | $7.58–$632.00 | 35% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 THROAT/NP CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $81.00 | $90.00 | $42.30–$88.20 | 10% |
| Licking Memorial Hospital Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 Lab Test - Bacterial culture Legionella Culture source file | $85.75 | $85.75 | $8.45–$85.75 | — |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 BODY SCREEN CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $93.60 | $104.00 | $48.88–$101.92 | 10% |
| Berger Hospital Circleville, OH · (740) 420-8008 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $96.85 | $149.00 | — | 35% |
| Licking Memorial Hospital Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 HC Culture Othr Specimn Aerobic - Wound+1 more line at this price source file | $113.90 | $113.90 | $8.45–$113.90 | — |
| Licking Memorial Hospital Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 HC Culture Othr Specimn Aerobic - Genital source file | $120.70 | $120.70 | $8.45–$120.70 | — |
| Galion Community Hospital Galion, OH · (419) 468-4841 HC BACTERIAL CULTURE OTHER SOURCE source file | $123.25 | $145.00 | $49.30–$133.40 | 15% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 BODY FLUID CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $123.30 | $137.00 | $64.39–$134.26 | 10% |
| Licking Memorial Hospital Newark, OH · (740) 348-4000 HC Culture Othr Specimn Aerobic - Bite source file | $123.50 | $123.50 | $8.45–$123.50 | — |
| Grady Memorial Hospital Delaware, OH · (740) 368-5145 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $124.15 | $191.00 | — | 35% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 CULTURE AEROBIC File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $126.00 | $140.00 | $65.80–$137.20 | 10% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 UROGENITAL CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $126.90 | $141.00 | $66.27–$138.18 | 10% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 TISSUE/ABSCESS CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $176.40 | $196.00 | $92.12–$192.08 | 10% |
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 722-2000 BODY FLD IN BLD CULT MEDIA File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $190.80 | $212.00 | $99.64–$207.76 | 10% |
| Dublin Methodist Hospital Dublin, OH · (614) 544-8000 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $193.05 | $297.00 | — | 35% |
| Doctors Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $193.05 | $297.00 | — | 35% |
| Pickerington Methodist Hospital Pickerington, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $193.05 | $297.00 | — | 35% |
| Riverside Methodist Hospital Columbus, OH · (614) 566-5000 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $193.05 | $297.00 | — | 35% |
| Grant Medical Center Columbus, OH · (614) 566-9164 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $193.05 | $297.00 | — | 35% |
| Grove City Methodist Grove City, OH · (614) 544-2136 Hc Culture Aerobic File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $193.05 | $297.00 | — | 35% |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
Inpatient: lowest $18.00, median $69.13, highest $124.15 — a 6.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 20 facilities here, median $69.55 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 of 10 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.