Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Sierra Vista, AZ
In Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ, 2 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid): from $24.96 to $92.80, with a median of $58.88. The lowest listed price is at Benson Hospital — $33.92 less than the median here. Across Arizona, the median is $67.60 at 56 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 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 Feb 4, 2026 and May 13, 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 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson Hospital lowest Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 NOSE THROAT | $24.96 | $52.00 | $16.64–$48.63 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Benson Hospital Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 MISC. SENSITIVITY | $28.32 | $59.00 | $18.88–$53.10 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Benson Hospital Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 CULEFTURE CSF | $29.28 | $61.00 | $19.52–$54.90 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Benson Hospital Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 CULEFTURE GENITAL | $29.28 | $61.00 | $19.52–$54.90 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Benson Hospital Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 CULTURE AEROBIC IH | $34.56 | $72.00 | $23.04–$64.80 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Benson Hospital Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 CULTURE DEFINED | $34.56 | $72.00 | $23.04–$64.80 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Benson Hospital Benson, AZ · (520) 586-2261 CULEFTURE DEFINED | $34.56 | $72.00 | $23.04–$64.80 | 52% | May 13, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 C CSF | $92.80 | $116.00 | $18.56–$104.40 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 CSF Culture | $92.80 | $116.00 | $18.56–$104.40 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 Throat Culture | $131.20 | $164.00 | $26.24–$147.60 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 Sputum Culture | $138.40 | $173.00 | $27.68–$155.70 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 B Pertussis, Nasophar Culture | $169.60 | $212.00 | $33.92–$190.80 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 Tissue Culture | $189.60 | $237.00 | $37.92–$213.30 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 Wound Culture | $248.00 | $310.00 | $49.60–$279.00 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
| Copper Queen Community Hospital Bisbee, AZ · (520) 432-6401 Body Fluid Culture | $248.80 | $311.00 | $49.76–$279.90 | 20% | Feb 4, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $24.96, median $58.88, highest $92.80 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $58.88. 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 2 of 2 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.