Urine culture cost in Harrisburg, PA — inpatient
In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count as an inpatient: from $8.92 to $45.00, with a median of $16.80. The lowest listed price is at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute — $7.88 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $59.40 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 87086, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute lowest Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-4742 87086 Culture Urine. Tech | $8.92 | $52.00 | $19.59–$41.60 | 83% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 87086 Culture Urine. Tech | $12.42 | $52.00 | $6.86–$41.60 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 87086 Culture Urine. Tech | $16.36 | $52.00 | $6.86–$41.60 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 CULTURE URINE QUANT (SQ) | $17.23 | $52.00 | $6.86–$41.60 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 Culture Urine. | $17.23 | $52.00 | $6.86–$41.60 | 67% | — source file |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-3131 HC URINE CULTURE | $45.00 | $75.00 | $48.75–$63.75 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Carlisle Carlisle, PA · (717) 249-1212 HC URINE CULTURE | $45.00 | $75.00 | $30.60–$63.75 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $8.92, median $16.80, highest $45.00 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $16.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 6 of 6 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 it is 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 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.