Urine culture cost in Milwaukee, WI — inpatient
In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 13 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count as an inpatient: from $64.66 to $105.60, with a median of $80.00. The lowest listed price is at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee and 1 other hospital — $15.34 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $75.40 at 80 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 87086, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Mar 23, 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee lowest Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC URINE CULTURE/COLONY COUNT | $64.66 | $122.00 | $8.47–$36.85 | 47% | — source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee lowest Mequon, WI HC URINE CULTURE/COLONY COUNT | $64.66 | $122.00 | $8.47–$36.85 | 47% | — source file |
| Aurora West Allis Medical Center West Allis, WI · (414) 328-6000 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Psychiatric Hospital Wauwatosa, WI · (414) 454-6600 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Sinai Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Milwaukee, WI CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Milwaukee, WI · (414) 649-6000 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora St Lukes South Shore of Aurora Health Care Metro Cudahy, WI CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Summit Summit, WI · (262) 434-1600 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Grafton Grafton, WI · (262) 329-1000 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Washington County Hartford, WI · (262) 673-2300 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Aurora Medical Center Kenosha Kenosha, WI · (262) 948-5600 CULTURE, URINE QUANTITATIVE | $80.00 | $160.00 | $96.00–$136.00 | 50% | Nov 21, 2025 source file |
| Columbia St. Mary's Glendale, WI URINE BACTERIAL CULTURE QUANT | $95.93 | $181.00 | $7.83–$19.68 | 47% | — source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CULTURE URINE PREGNANT PATIENT | $105.60 | $192.00 | $134.40–$182.40 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CULTURE URINE | $105.60 | $192.00 | $134.40–$182.40 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CULTURE URINE PREGNANT PATIENT | $105.60 | $192.00 | $134.40–$182.40 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CULTURE URINE | $105.60 | $192.00 | $134.40–$182.40 | 45% | Mar 23, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $64.66, median $80.00, highest $105.60 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $80.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 10 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 10 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.