Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Memphis, TN — inpatient
In Memphis, TN-MS-AR, 12 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $13.20 to $143.04, with a median of $57.90. The lowest listed price is at Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp — $44.70 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $40.20 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 7 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 27, 2026 and Feb 28, 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp lowest Memphis, TN HC Cx Bact Isolation Body Fluid & Gram Stai source file | $13.20 | $60.00 | — | 78% |
| Methodist South Hospital Memphis, TN · (901) 516-8274 HC Cx Bact Isolation Body Fluid & Gram Stai source file | $26.40 | $120.00 | $3.62–$65.40 | 78% |
| Methodist University Hospital Memphis, TN · (901) 516-8274 HC Cx Bact Isolation Body Fluid & Gram Stai source file | $26.40 | $120.00 | $3.62–$65.40 | 78% |
| Methodist Olive Branch Hospital Olive Branch, MS · (662) 932-9000 HC Cx Bact Isolation Body Fluid & Gram Stai source file | $26.40 | $120.00 | $3.62–$65.40 | 78% |
| Methodist North Hospital Memphis, TN · (901) 516-8274 HC Cx Bact Isolation Body Fluid & Gram Stai source file | $26.40 | $120.00 | $3.62–$65.40 | 78% |
| Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital Germantown, TN · (901) 516-8274 HC Cx Bact Isolation Body Fluid & Gram Stai source file | $26.40 | $120.00 | $3.62–$65.40 | 78% |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden West Memphis, AR · (870) 394-7800 CULTURE AEROBIC SOURCE OTHER THAN BLOOD/URINE/STOOL File of Feb 27, 2026 · source file | $89.40 | $596.00 | $226.48–$476.80 | 85% |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto Southaven, MS · (662) 772-4000 CULTURE AEROBIC SOURCE OTHER THAN BLOOD/URINE/STOOL File of Feb 27, 2026 · source file | $119.20 | $596.00 | $226.48–$536.40 | 80% |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis, TN CULTURE AEROBIC SOURCE OTHER THAN BLOOD/URINE/STOOL File of Feb 27, 2026 · source file | $125.16 | $596.00 | $226.48–$536.40 | 79% |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis, TN · (901) 226-5000 CULTURE AEROBIC SOURCE OTHER THAN BLOOD/URINE/STOOL File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $125.16 | $596.00 | $226.48–$536.40 | 79% |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville, TN · (901) 226-5000 CULTURE AEROBIC SOURCE OTHER THAN BLOOD/URINE/STOOL File of Feb 27, 2026 · source file | $125.16 | $596.00 | $226.48–$536.40 | 79% |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Covington, TN · (901) 476-2621 CULTURE AEROBIC SOURCE OTHER THAN BLOOD/URINE/STOOL File of Feb 27, 2026 · source file | $143.04 | $596.00 | $226.48–$536.40 | 76% |
Inpatient: lowest $13.20, median $57.90, highest $143.04 — a 10.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 13 facilities here, median $89.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 11 of 11 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 6 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.