Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Providence, RI — inpatient
In Providence-Warwick, RI-MA, 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 $33.71 to $68.80, with a median of $68.80. The lowest listed price is at Brown University Health Morton Hospital — $35.09 less than the median here. Across Rhode Island, the median is $68.80 at 8 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown University Health Morton Hospital lowest Taunton, MA · (508) 828-7000 HC CULTURE THROAT+5 more lines at this price source file | $33.71 | $33.71 | — | — |
| Saint Anne's Hospital Fall River, MA · (508) 674-5600 HC CULTURE CSF+5 more lines at this price source file | $41.68 | $41.68 | — | — |
| The Miriam Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 793-2500 HC CULTURE CSF+5 more lines at this price source file | $68.80 | $68.80 | — | — |
| Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital East Providence, RI · (401) 432-1000 HC CULTURE CSF+5 more lines at this price source file | $68.80 | $68.80 | — | — |
| Newport Hospital Newport, RI · (401) 846-6400 HC CULTURE CSF+5 more lines at this price source file | $68.80 | $68.80 | — | — |
| Rhode Island Hospital Providence, RI · (401) 444-4000 HC CULTURE THROAT+5 more lines at this price source file | $68.80 | $68.80 | — | — |
Inpatient: lowest $33.71, median $68.80, highest $68.80 — a 2.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $39.59 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.