Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Des Moines, IA — inpatient
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $38.58 to $193.70, with a median of $88.95. The lowest listed price is at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical — $50.37 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $60.45 at 77 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnityPoint Health - Des Moines Iowa Methodist Medical lowest Des Moines, IA · (515) 343-1000 HC BACTERIAL CULTURE - OTHR SOURCE+1 more line at this price File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $38.58 | $48.22 | $20.88 | 20% |
| Broadlawns Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 282-2200 Culture Othr Specimn Aerobic File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $44.00 | $44.00 | — | — |
| Dallas County Hospital Perry, IA · (515) 465-3547 CULTURE SPUTUM+15 more lines at this price source file | $83.00 | $127.00 | $8.45–$107.95 | 35% |
| MercyOne Newton Medical Center Newton, IA · (641) 792-1273 HC Culture Genital+10 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $94.90 | $146.00 | $8.35–$146.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC Culture Genital+7 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $172.00 | $172.00 | $8.35–$172.00 | — |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Culture Bacterial Other Source+2 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $193.70 | $298.00 | $8.35–$298.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Culture Sputum File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $204.10 | $314.00 | $8.35–$314.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center Des Moines, IA · (515) 247-4436 HC Culture Ear+5 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $206.05 | $317.00 | $8.35–$317.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center West Des Moines, IA HC Culture Nasal+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $298.00 | $298.00 | $8.35–$298.00 | — |
Inpatient: lowest $38.58, median $88.95, highest $193.70 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $94.90 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 5 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.