Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Waterloo, IA — inpatient
In Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA, 4 hospitals list a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) as an inpatient: from $38.58 to $60.45, with a median of $50.83. The lowest listed price is at Allen Hospital — $12.25 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $60.45 at 80 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 87070, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 28, 2026 and Jun 29, 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 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen Hospital lowest Waterloo, IA · (319) 235-3941 HC BACTERIAL CULTURE - OTHR SOURCE File of Jan 28, 2026 · source file | $38.58 | $48.22 | $31.20 | 20% |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital Grundy Center, IA · (319) 824-5421 CULTURE EAR/EYE D/S/N/F1/A/G/F/W1 File of Jun 29, 2026 · source file | $41.20 | $51.50 | $33.00–$51.00 | 20% |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital Grundy Center, IA · (319) 824-5421 CULT CSF AND GRM STN D/N/S/F1/A/G/F/W1 File of Jun 29, 2026 · source file | $42.44 | $53.05 | $34.00–$53.00 | 20% |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Culture Wound+9 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $60.45 | $93.00 | $8.35–$93.00 | 35% |
| Sartori Memorial Hospital Cedar Falls, IA · (319) 268-3000 HC Culture Eye+12 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $60.45 | $93.00 | $8.35–$93.00 | 35% |
| MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center Waterloo, IA · (319) 272-8000 HC Culture Throat+4 more lines at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $71.50 | $110.00 | $8.35–$110.00 | 35% |
| Sartori Memorial Hospital Cedar Falls, IA · (319) 268-3000 HC Culture Throat+1 more line at this price File of Mar 31, 2026 · source file | $71.50 | $110.00 | $8.35–$110.00 | 35% |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital Grundy Center, IA · (319) 824-5421 CULT CATH TIP S/D/N/F1/A/G/F/W1 File of Jun 29, 2026 · source file | $82.40 | $103.00 | $66.00–$103.00 | 20% |
| Grundy County Memorial Hospital Grundy Center, IA · (319) 824-5421 CULT FLUID WITH GRAM S/D/N/F1+6 more lines at this price File of Jun 29, 2026 · source file | $106.95 | $133.69 | $86.00–$133.00 | 20% |
Inpatient: lowest $38.58, median $50.83, highest $60.45 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $60.45 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 4 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.