Bacterial culture (wound) cost in El Centro, CA
In El Centro, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid): from $21.84 to $21.84, with a median of $21.84. Across California, the median is $133.00 at 193 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87070, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in El Centro, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital lowest Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Optochin disk | $21.84 | $62.40 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Bone Marrow Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Catheter Tip Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Cerebrospinal Fluid Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Ear Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Eye Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Genital Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Group B Strep Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Nasal Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Respiratory Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Sputum Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Throat Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Tissue Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Body Fluid Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
| Pioneers Memorial Hospital Brawley, CA · (760) 351-3333 Wound Culture | $37.30 | $106.58 | $6.01–$67.61 | 65% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $21.84, median $21.84, highest $21.84.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $21.84. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is 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 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.