Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Kansas City, MO
In Kansas City, MO-KS, 18 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid): from $12.62 to $1,046.17, with a median of $140.12. The lowest listed price is at Lafayette Regional Health Center — $127.50 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $68.30 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 12 cities for code 87070, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 6, 2026 and Sep 1, 2026.
Lowest$12.62Lafayette Regional Health Center
Median$140.12half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,046.17in this market
Difference82.9×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 Kansas City, MO-KS.
median
Lowest $12.62Highest $1,290.45
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Regional Health Center lowest Lexington, MO · (660) 259-2203 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $12.62 | $12.62 | $2.35–$12.62 | — |
| Ascentist Hospital Leawood, KS · (913) 529-1801 AEROBIC BACTERIAL CX, GENERAL source file | $15.52 | $50.00 | $14.31–$18.53 | 69% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Overland Park, KS · (913) 696-8000 HC CULTURE BACTERIAL KU source file | $37.44 | $78.00 | $7.72–$70.20 | 52% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO · (816) 234-3000 HC CULTURE BACTERIAL KU source file | $37.44 | $78.00 | $7.72–$70.20 | 52% |
| NKC Health North Kansas City, MO · (816) 691-2000 87070 Unusual Organism Culture ARUP File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $43.50 | $150.00 | $7.99–$122.70 | 71% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO · (816) 234-3000 CULTURE/BACT UROGENITAL+5 more lines at this price source file | $49.92 | $104.00 | $7.72–$93.60 | 52% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Overland Park, KS · (913) 696-8000 CULTURE/BACT CSF+5 more lines at this price source file | $49.92 | $104.00 | $7.72–$93.60 | 52% |
| Liberty Hospital Liberty, MO · (816) 781-7200 GENITAL CULTURE +1 more line at this price source file | $51.00 | $186.00 | $51.89–$151.78 | 73% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 CULTURE TISSUE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $79.50 | $113.57 | $8.62–$96.53 | 30% |
| NKC Health North Kansas City, MO · (816) 691-2000 BACTERIAL CULTURE WOUND+21 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $81.20 | $280.00 | $7.99–$229.04 | 71% |
| Rehabilitation Hospital of Overland Park Overland Park, KS Sputum Culture+1 more line at this price File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file | $86.20 | $86.20 | $6.90–$77.58 | — |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 THROAT CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $118.12 | $168.73 | $8.62–$143.42 | 30% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 EYE CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $136.53 | $195.03 | $8.62–$165.78 | 30% |
| Research Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 276-4000 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $140.12 | $140.12 | $18.22–$140.12 | — |
| Research Psychiatric Center Kansas City, MO CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $140.12 | $140.12 | $18.22–$140.12 | — |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 EAR CULTURE+1 more line at this price File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $148.40 | $211.99 | $8.62–$180.19 | 30% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 WOUND/LESION CULTURE+1 more line at this price File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $164.30 | $234.71 | $8.62–$199.50 | 30% |
| Menorah Medical Center Overland Park, KS · (913) 498-6000 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $168.70 | $168.70 | $21.93–$134.96 | — |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 CSF CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $172.62 | $246.60 | $8.62–$209.61 | 30% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 PNP CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $192.95 | $275.63 | $8.62–$234.29 | 30% |
| Cass Regional Medical Center Harrisonville, MO · (816) 380-5888 87070 CULTURE OTH SPECMN AEROB+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 7, 2026 · source file | $198.80 | $284.00 | $8.62–$275.20 | 30% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 SPUTUM CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $214.27 | $306.09 | $8.62–$260.18 | 30% |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 NASAL CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $217.33 | $310.46 | $8.62–$263.89 | 30% |
| Overland Park Regional Medical Center Olathe, KS · (913) 541-5000 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $234.16 | $234.16 | $30.44–$175.62 | — |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 BODY FLUID CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $236.23 | $337.46 | $8.62–$286.84 | 30% |
| Belton Regional Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 348-1200 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $236.46 | $236.46 | $30.74–$212.81 | — |
| Bates County Memorial Hospital Butler, MO · (660) 200-7000 URO-GENITAL CULTURE File of Apr 20, 2026 · source file | $237.74 | $339.62 | $8.62–$288.68 | 30% |
| AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission, KS · (913) 676-2152 HC CSF CULTURE WITH GRAM STAIN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.03 | $269.03 | — | — |
| AdventHealth South Overland Park Overland Park, KS · (913) 373-2000 HC CSF CULTURE WITH GRAM STAIN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $269.03 | $269.03 | — | — |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO · (816) 234-3000 HC HPC PROC MICRO KU source file | $295.68 | $616.00 | $7.72–$554.40 | 52% |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas Overland Park, KS · (913) 696-8000 HC HPC PROC MICRO KU source file | $295.68 | $616.00 | $7.72–$554.40 | 52% |
| Rehabilitation Hospital of Overland Park Overland Park, KS Aerobic culture File of Aug 6, 2026 · source file | $303.80 | $303.80 | $6.90–$273.42 | — |
| AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission, KS · (913) 676-2152 HC CATH TIP CULTURE+9 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $513.18 | $513.18 | — | — |
| AdventHealth South Overland Park Overland Park, KS · (913) 373-2000 HC BONE CULTURE+9 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $513.18 | $513.18 | — | — |
| Lafayette Regional Health Center Lexington, MO · (660) 259-2203 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $516.04 | $516.04 | $95.98–$516.04 | — |
| AdventHealth Shawnee Mission Shawnee Mission, KS · (913) 676-2152 HC SPUTUM CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $520.91 | $520.91 | — | — |
| AdventHealth South Overland Park Overland Park, KS · (913) 373-2000 HC SPUTUM CULTURE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $520.91 | $520.91 | — | — |
| Lee's Summit Medical Center Lee's Summit, MO · (816) 282-5000 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $594.28 | $594.28 | $77.26–$505.14 | — |
| Lee's Summit Medical Center Lee's Summit, MO · (816) 282-5000 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $732.60 | $732.60 | $95.24–$622.71 | — |
| Belton Regional Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 348-1200 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $857.94 | $857.94 | $111.53–$772.15 | — |
| Research Medical Center Kansas City, MO · (816) 276-4000 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $879.94 | $879.94 | $114.39–$879.94 | — |
| Research Psychiatric Center Kansas City, MO CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $879.94 | $879.94 | $114.39–$879.94 | — |
| Menorah Medical Center Overland Park, KS · (913) 498-6000 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $969.05 | $969.05 | $125.98–$775.24 | — |
| Centerpoint Medical Center Independence, MO · (816) 698-7000 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,046.17 | $1,046.17 | $136.00–$941.55 | — |
| Overland Park Regional Medical Center Olathe, KS · (913) 541-5000 CULT OTHER EXCP UR/BL/ST File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,096.13 | $1,096.13 | $142.50–$822.10 | — |
| Centerpoint Medical Center Independence, MO · (816) 698-7000 CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,290.45 | $1,290.45 | $167.76–$1,161.40 | — |
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
Outpatient: lowest $12.62, median $140.12, highest $1,046.17 — a 82.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $65.25. 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 7 of 16 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.
3 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 87070 ($91.03). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Hospital | Cash price | File |
|---|---|---|
| Providence Medical Center Kansas City, KSHc Culture Spec, Bacteria, Not Urine,Stool,Blood | $8.00 | file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Kansas City, MOHc Culture Spec, Bacteria, Not Urine,Stool,Blood | $8.00 | file |
| Saint John Hospital Leavenworth, KSHc Culture Spec, Bacteria, Not Urine,Stool,Blood | $8.00 | file |
File Link to the hospital's own price file.