Ova and parasites test cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 10 hospitals list a cash price for stool ova and parasites exam: from $33.80 to $205.20, with a median of $70.33. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital South — $36.53 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $57.53 at 30 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 8 cities for code 87177, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 24, 2026 and Apr 24, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital South lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Ova and Parasites | $33.80 | $52.00 | $8.01–$20.03 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Ova and Parasites | $59.15 | $91.00 | $8.01–$20.03 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington Washington, MO Ova and Parasites | $59.15 | $91.00 | $8.01–$15.05 | 35% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 OVA-PARASITES SMEARS | $64.33 | $107.21 | $107.21 | 40% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 432-3600 OVA AND PARASITES SMEARS | $64.70 | $64.70 | $4.86–$15.29 | — | — source file |
| Ranken Jordan Home for Convalescent Crippled Children Hospital Maryland Heights, MO · (314) 872-6400 Ova and Parasites Stool Conc and Perm Smear | $75.96 | $94.95 | — | 20% | Apr 24, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Ova and Parasites | $96.85 | $149.00 | $7.87–$20.03 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Ova and Parasites | $101.40 | $156.00 | $8.01–$20.03 | 35% | — source file |
| St Josephs Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis Highland, IL · (618) 651-2600 HC SMEAR OVA PARASITE CONC/ID | $128.16 | $178.00 | $17.24–$178.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 Q681 OVA-PARASITES S | $192.15 | $320.25 | $320.25 | 40% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC SMEAR OVA PARASITE CONC/ID-90 | $205.20 | $285.00 | $7.78–$285.00 | 28% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $33.80, median $70.33, highest $205.20 — a 6.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $102.06. 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 3 of 9 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
The ova and parasites exam looks for parasites and their eggs in stool under a microscope, usually for diarrhea after travel or camping.
What the price covers
The price is usually for one sample; the collection kit is often included.