Bacterial culture (wound) cost in San Antonio, TX — inpatient
In San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX, 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 $84.25 to $119.00, with a median of $86.20. The lowest listed price is at University Health System — $1.95 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $69.48 at 296 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 4 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Oct 14, 2025 and Aug 6, 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 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Health System lowest San Antonio, TX · (210) 358-2000 HC CULTURE OTHER SPECIMEN AEROBIC - THROAT STREP S | $84.25 | $337.00 | $124.69–$286.45 | 75% | Oct 14, 2025 source file |
| University Health System lowest San Antonio, TX · (210) 358-2000 HC CULTURE OTHER SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $84.25 | $337.00 | $124.69–$286.45 | 75% | Oct 14, 2025 source file |
| Specialty Hospital of San Antonio Medical Center South San Antonio, TX Body Fluid Culture | $86.20 | $86.20 | $60.34–$77.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Pam Speciality Hospital of New Braunfels New Braunfels, TX Body Fluid Culture | $86.20 | $86.20 | $60.34–$77.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital of San Antonio San Antonio, TX Body Fluid Culture | $86.20 | $86.20 | $60.34–$77.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Pam Speciality Hospital of New Braunfels New Braunfels, TX Sputum Culture | $86.20 | $86.20 | $60.34–$77.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Specialty Hospital of San Antonio Medical Center South San Antonio, TX Sputum Culture | $86.20 | $86.20 | $60.34–$77.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital of San Antonio San Antonio, TX Sputum Culture | $86.20 | $86.20 | $60.34–$77.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Medina Regional Hospital Hondo, TX · (830) 426-7700 CULTURE, NEISSERIA, | $93.16 | $103.51 | $51.76–$93.16 | 10% | Jul 29, 2026 source file |
| Medina Regional Hospital Hondo, TX · (830) 426-7700 CULTURE OTHER | $114.73 | $127.47 | $63.74–$114.72 | 10% | Jul 29, 2026 source file |
| Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Seguin, TX · (830) 379-2411 CULTURE,BACTERIAL ANY OTHER SR | $119.00 | $238.00 | $8.62–$238.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Seguin, TX · (830) 379-2411 CULTURE,BACTERIAL AOS,NOSE/THR | $119.00 | $238.00 | $8.62–$238.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Seguin, TX · (830) 379-2411 CULTURE,BACTERIAL ANY OTHER SR | $119.00 | $238.00 | $8.62–$238.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Seguin, TX · (830) 379-2411 CULTURE,BACTERIAL AOS,NOSE/THR | $119.00 | $238.00 | $8.62–$238.00 | 50% | — source file |
| Medina Regional Hospital Hondo, TX · (830) 426-7700 CULTURE NOSE/THROAT | $122.76 | $136.40 | $68.20–$122.76 | 10% | Jul 29, 2026 source file |
| Warm Springs Rehabilitation Hospital of San Antonio San Antonio, TX Aerobic culture | $336.20 | $336.20 | $235.34–$302.58 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Pam Speciality Hospital of New Braunfels New Braunfels, TX Aerobic culture | $368.20 | $368.20 | $257.74–$331.38 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
| Specialty Hospital of San Antonio Medical Center South San Antonio, TX Aerobic culture | $614.76 | $614.76 | $430.33–$553.28 | — | Aug 6, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $84.25, median $86.20, highest $119.00 — a 1.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $859.35 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 6 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.