Urine culture cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 13 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count: from $15.14 to $89.40, with a median of $76.80. The lowest listed price is at Bethesda North and 1 other hospital — $61.66 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $56.70 at 99 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 7 cities for code 87086, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Jul 1, 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda North lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Urine Culture | $15.14 | $20.18 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital lowest Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Urine Culture | $15.14 | $20.18 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Urine Culture | $27.58 | $36.78 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Urine Culture, Bacterial, Quant Colony Count, Lc | $43.60 | $109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Urine Culture | $57.12 | $112.00 | $8.07–$112.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Culture, Urine With Colony Cnt | $68.80 | $172.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Culture Urine | $76.80 | $128.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Culture Urine | $76.80 | $128.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Urine Cult./Colony Count | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Urine Cult./Colony Count | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Urine Cult./Colony Count | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Urine Cult./Colony Count | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Urine Cult./Colony Count | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Urine Cult./Colony Count | $89.40 | $149.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $15.14, median $76.80, highest $89.40 — a 5.9× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $89.40. 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.