Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Louisville, KY
In Louisville, KY, 1 hospital lists a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid): from $103.20 to $103.20, with a median of $103.20. Across Kentucky, the median is $103.20 at 77 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87070, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 11, 2026 and Feb 11, 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 Louisville, KY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE BRONCHIAL | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE SPUTUM - W/GS | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE AEROBIC - EYE W/GS | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE CSF | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE LEGIONELLA | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE GENITAL | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE WOUND | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CF RESPIRATORY CULT/GRAM STAIN | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE BODY FLUID | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE BONE MARROW | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE AEROBIC | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE THROAT | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE TISSUE | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE AEROBIC - ALLOGENEIC BONE BANK | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE/SCREEN, GC | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE AEROBIC - EAR W/GS | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital lowest Louisville, KY HB CULTURE ROUTINE | $103.20 | $516.00 | $8.62–$428.28 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $103.20, median $103.20, highest $103.20.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $103.20. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.