Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Seattle, WA
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 18 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid): from $10.64 to $166.90, with a median of $54.24. The lowest listed price is at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics — $43.60 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $87.60 at 58 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 14 cities for code 87070, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 1, 2026 and Apr 14, 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics lowest Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Culture Spec, Bacteria, Not Urine,Stool,Blood Lab3501 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $10.64 | $21.27 | — | 50% |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Culture Spec, Bacteria, Not Urine,Stool,Blood-Lc File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $17.69 | $35.38 | — | 50% |
| Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Snoqualmie, WA · (425) 831-2300 Facility Fee HC SVH CULTURE SPEC, BACTERIA, NOT URINE,STOOL,BLOOD_INCYTE+9 more lines at this price File of Apr 14, 2026 · source file | $44.14 | $76.10 | $8.45–$70.01 | 42% |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA · (253) 588-1711 HC ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $49.18 | $170.60 | $8.62–$127.95 | 71% |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA · (253) 530-2050 HC ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $51.89 | $170.60 | $8.62–$127.95 | 70% |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA · (206) 431-5237 HC ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $52.10 | $170.60 | $8.62–$153.54 | 69% |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA · (253) 944-8100 HC ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $53.54 | $170.60 | $8.62–$127.95 | 69% |
| Swedish Edmonds Edmonds, WA · (425) 640-4000 HC CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $54.24 | $113.00 | — | 52% |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC CUL BACT XCPT URINE BLOOD/STOOL AEROBIC ISOL CDM+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $54.24 | $113.00 | — | 52% |
| Swedish Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 386-6000 HC CUL BACT XCPT URINE BLOOD/STOOL AEROBIC ISOL CDM+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $54.24 | $113.00 | — | 52% |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC CUL BACT XCPT URINE BLOOD/STOOL AEROBIC ISOL CDM+2 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $54.24 | $113.00 | — | 52% |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA · (253) 627-4101 HC ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $56.51 | $170.60 | $8.62–$127.95 | 67% |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER+3 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $58.76 | $113.00 | — | 48% |
| St Elizabeth Hospital Enumclaw, WA · (360) 825-2505 HC ENVIRONMENTAL CULTURE File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $60.29 | $170.60 | $8.62–$153.54 | 65% |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 CULTURE,BACTERIAL,DEFINITIVE-OTHER SOURCE File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $61.71 | $121.00 | $72.60–$96.80 | 49% |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA · (253) 588-1711 HC H PYLORI CULT File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $65.57 | $227.47 | $8.62–$170.61 | 71% |
| Valley Medical Center Renton, WA · (425) 228-3450 Cul Bact Xcpt Urine Blood/Stool Aerobic Isol File of Mar 12, 2026 · source file | $68.60 | $98.00 | — | 30% |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA · (253) 530-2050 HC H PYLORI CULT File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $69.19 | $227.47 | $8.62–$170.61 | 70% |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA · (206) 431-5237 HC H PYLORI CULT File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $69.46 | $227.47 | $8.62–$204.73 | 69% |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA · (253) 944-8100 HC H PYLORI CULT File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $71.39 | $227.47 | $8.62–$170.61 | 69% |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA · (253) 627-4101 HC H PYLORI CULT File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $75.34 | $227.47 | $8.62–$170.61 | 67% |
| St Elizabeth Hospital Enumclaw, WA · (360) 825-2505 HC H PYLORI CULT File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $80.38 | $227.47 | $8.62–$204.73 | 65% |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 LAB CULTURE OTHER SOURCE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $111.20 | $139.00 | $7.00–$25.00 | 20% |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Culture Spec, Bacteria, Not Urine,Stool,Blood File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $123.00 | $246.00 | — | 50% |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC CULTURE OTHR SPECMN AEROBIC File of Mar 26, 2026 · source file | $137.60 | $172.00 | $8.62–$154.80 | 20% |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Culture Other Source+7 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $166.90 | $166.90 | $42.06–$160.22 | — |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Bronchial Culture File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $257.30 | $257.30 | $64.84–$247.01 | — |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 987-2000 Trachael Aspirate Culture+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $318.30 | $318.30 | $80.21–$305.57 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $10.64, median $54.24, highest $166.90 — a 15.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 18 facilities here, median $54.24. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 9 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 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.