Urine culture cost in Carlsbad, NM
In Carlsbad-Artesia, NM, 1 hospital lists a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count: from $121.80 to $121.80, with a median of $121.80. Across New Mexico, the median is $98.27 at 10 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87086, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 20, 2026 and Feb 20, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 CULTURE URINE | $121.80 | $203.00 | $6.86–$192.85 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $121.80, median $121.80, highest $121.80.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $65.10. 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 urine culture grows bacteria from a urine sample in the lab and counts how many colonies appear. It is used to confirm a urinary tract infection, especially when symptoms return or first treatment does not work.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the culture and colony count. If bacteria grow, identifying them and testing which antibiotics work are separate codes with their own charges.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 87086 ($68.80). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Carlsbad Medical Center Carlsbad, NMCULT URINE-COLONY CT | $4.20 | file |