Ova and parasites test cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 6 hospitals list a cash price for stool ova and parasites exam as an inpatient: from $30.84 to $205.20, with a median of $102.06. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South — $71.22 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $57.53 at 30 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 6 cities for code 87177, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 16, 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 Rehabilitation Hospital South lowest Louis, MO OVA AND PARASITES | $30.84 | $30.84 | $30.84 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 OVA-PARASITES SMEARS | $64.33 | $107.21 | $107.21 | 40% | — 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 |
| 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 |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis Chesterfield, MO OVA AND PARASITES | $147.47 | $147.47 | $147.47 | — | Mar 16, 2026 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 |
Inpatient: lowest $30.84, median $102.06, highest $205.20 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $70.33 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 5 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.