Urine culture cost in Tucson, AZ — inpatient
In Tucson, AZ, 3 hospitals list a cash price for urine culture for bacteria, with colony count as an inpatient: from $14.53 to $69.44, with a median of $20.36. The lowest listed price is at Banner University Med Center South — $5.83 less than the median here. Across Arizona, the median is $59.28 at 34 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities for code 87086, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 2, 2026 and Apr 30, 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 Tucson, AZ.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banner University Med Center South lowest Tucson, AZ · (520) 874-2000 LAB CULT BACT COLONY COUNT URINE | $14.53 | $87.00 | $39.15–$69.60 | 83% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson, AZ · (520) 874-4189 LAB CULT BACT COLONY COUNT URINE | $20.36 | $87.00 | $39.15–$69.60 | 77% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Culture UR Cln Catch | $69.44 | $248.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Culture UR Cln Catch | $69.44 | $248.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $14.53, median $20.36, highest $69.44 — a 4.8× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $20.36 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 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.