Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Nashville, TN — inpatient
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, 8 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $11.21 to $89.40, with a median of $37.64. The lowest listed price is at Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery — $26.43 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $40.20 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 6 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 28, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 1, 2025 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Thomas Hospital for Specialty Surgery lowest Nashville, TN Aerobic Culture+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 14, 2026 · source file | $11.21 | $51.00 | $7.76–$584.01 | 78% |
| Stones River Hospital Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 CULTURE AEROBE source file | $37.28 | $124.25 | $6.04–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 CULTURE AEROBE source file | $37.28 | $124.25 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 CULTURE AEROBE source file | $37.28 | $124.25 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 HC CULTURE BACT ABSCESS+6 more lines at this price File of Oct 1, 2025 · source file | $37.99 | $131.00 | $8.17–$104.80 | 71% |
| Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital Lebanon, TN · (615) 444-2250 HC CULTURE OTHER SOURCE File of Oct 1, 2025 · source file | $38.86 | $134.00 | $8.17–$107.20 | 71% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 CULTURE GC source file | $47.93 | $85.00 | $31.54–$80.75 | 44% |
| Stones River Hospital Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 CULTURE LEGIONELLA source file | $55.32 | $184.40 | $6.04–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 CULTURE LEGIONELLA source file | $55.32 | $184.40 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 CULTURE LEGIONELLA source file | $55.32 | $184.40 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 CULTURE CATH TIP+1 more line at this price source file | $66.86 | $222.85 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 CULTURE BRUCELLA+1 more line at this price source file | $66.86 | $222.85 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Stones River Hospital Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 CULTURE BRUCELLA+1 more line at this price source file | $66.86 | $222.85 | $6.04–$33.86 | 70% |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 HC CULT BACT RESP CF+6 more lines at this price File of Oct 1, 2025 · source file | $70.74 | $131.00 | $8.17–$104.80 | 46% |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN · (615) 322-3454 HC CULTURE OTHER SOURCE File of Oct 1, 2025 · source file | $72.36 | $134.00 | $8.17–$107.20 | 46% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 NEO-NATAL SURFACE CULTURE source file | $73.86 | $131.00 | $48.60–$124.45 | 44% |
| Stones River Hospital Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE source file | $78.35 | $261.15 | $6.04–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE source file | $78.35 | $261.15 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE source file | $78.35 | $261.15 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas West Hospital Harding Pk Nashville, TN · (615) 222-2111 CULTURE BONE MARROW+6 more lines at this price source file | $79.47 | $264.90 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Stones River Hospital Woodbury, TN · (615) 563-4001 CULTURE THROAT+6 more lines at this price source file | $79.47 | $264.90 | $6.04–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 CULTURE-CSF+5 more lines at this price source file | $79.47 | $264.90 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN · (615) 396-4100 CULTURE RESPIRATORY source file | $79.49 | $264.95 | $7.76–$33.86 | 70% |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital Nashville, TN · (615) 341-4000 Culture Tissue w/ Anaerobes Prelim AEL File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% |
| Metro Nashville General Hospital Nashville, TN · (615) 341-4000 Culture, Catheter Tip AEL+9 more lines at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $90.00 | $150.00 | — | 40% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 CULTURE OTHER source file | $90.21 | $160.00 | $59.36–$152.00 | 44% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 WOUND CULTURE IN PROFILE+1 more line at this price source file | $94.72 | $168.00 | $62.33–$159.60 | 44% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 CULTURE THROAT source file | $98.11 | $174.00 | $64.55–$165.30 | 44% |
| Williamson Medical Center Franklin, TN · (615) 435-5000 CULTURE SPUTUM+1 more line at this price source file | $121.79 | $216.00 | $80.14–$205.20 | 44% |
Inpatient: lowest $11.21, median $37.64, highest $89.40 — a 8.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 22 facilities here, median $70.87 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 7 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.