Urine culture cost in Louisville, KY — inpatient
In Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN, 3 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count as an inpatient: from $22.80 to $67.40, with a median of $41.30. The lowest listed price is at St. Vincent Salem Hospital — $18.50 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $100.26 at 15 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 87086, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 11, 2026 and Jun 3, 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/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital lowest Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 #CULT BACT QNT COLONY CNT URIN | $22.80 | $38.00 | $2.65–$18.40 | 40% | — source file |
| Norton Clark Hospital Jeffersonville, IN · (812) 283-2147 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $41.30 | $295.00 | $126.91–$258.13 | 86% | Jun 3, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $67.40 | $337.00 | $55.61–$310.71 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $67.40 | $337.00 | $55.61–$310.71 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $67.40 | $337.00 | $55.61–$310.71 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $67.40 | $337.00 | $55.61–$310.71 | 80% | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $67.40 | $337.00 | $55.61–$310.71 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospitals Louisville, KY · (502) 629-8000 HB CULTURE URINE COLONY COUNT | $67.40 | $337.00 | $55.61–$286.45 | 80% | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| St. Vincent Salem Hospital Salem, IN · (812) 883-5881 CULT BACT QNT COLONY CNT URINE | $137.40 | $229.00 | $2.65–$18.40 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $22.80, median $41.30, highest $67.40 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $100.26 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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.