Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Saginaw, MI — inpatient
In Saginaw, MI, 3 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $8.88 to $16.00, with a median of $8.88. The lowest listed price is at Covenant Medical Center and 1 other hospital. Across Michigan, the median is $53.00 at 86 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 2 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between May 15, 2026 and May 15, 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 Saginaw, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covenant Medical Center lowest Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG SYNOVASURE AEROBIC CULTURE File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $8.88 | $12.68 | $5.71–$11.41 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center lowest Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG SYNOVASURE AEROBIC CULTURE File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $8.88 | $12.68 | $5.71–$11.41 | 30% |
| HealthSource Saginaw Saginaw, MI · (989) 790-7888 SPUTUM/LOWER RESPIRATORY CULTURE source file | $16.00 | $16.00 | $1,080.00–$1,156.00 | — |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $23.80 | $34.00 | $15.30–$30.60 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $23.80 | $34.00 | $15.30–$30.60 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG UNUSUAL ORGANISM CULTURE File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $45.71 | $65.30 | $29.39–$58.77 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG UNUSUAL ORGANISM CULTURE File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $45.71 | $65.30 | $29.39–$58.77 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG AUTOCLAVE - STERILITY CHECK File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $58.80 | $84.00 | $37.80–$75.60 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG AUTOCLAVE - STERILITY CHECK File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $58.80 | $84.00 | $37.80–$75.60 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG CULTURE, TISSUE, AEROBIC File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $69.30 | $99.00 | $44.55–$89.10 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG CULTURE, TISSUE, AEROBIC File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $69.30 | $99.00 | $44.55–$89.10 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG DIALYSATE CULTURE/DS File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $79.80 | $114.00 | $51.30–$102.60 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG DIALYSATE CULTURE/DS File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $79.80 | $114.00 | $51.30–$102.60 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG EYE CULTURE/DS+2 more lines at this price File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $94.50 | $135.00 | $60.75–$121.50 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG C AEROB+2 more lines at this price File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $94.50 | $135.00 | $60.75–$121.50 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG RESPIRATORY CULT/DS+7 more lines at this price File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $102.20 | $146.00 | $65.70–$131.40 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG ABDOMINAL PERITONEAL FLUID CULTURE 87070+7 more lines at this price File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $102.20 | $146.00 | $65.70–$131.40 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG C GROUP B+3 more lines at this price File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $137.90 | $197.00 | $88.65–$177.30 | 30% |
| Covenant Medical Center Cooper Saginaw, MI · (989) 583-6000 HCHG C GROUP B+3 more lines at this price File of May 15, 2026 · source file | $137.90 | $197.00 | $88.65–$177.30 | 30% |
Inpatient: lowest $8.88, median $8.88, highest $16.00 — a 1.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $8.88 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 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.