Ova and parasites test cost in Santa Cruz, CA
In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for stool ova and parasites exam: from $27.87 to $27.87, with a median of $27.87. Across California, the median is $28.94 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87177, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 15, 2026 and Sep 15, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CA · (831) 724-4741 OVA AND PARASITES | $27.87 | $46.45 | $8.88–$59.04 | 40% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $27.87, median $27.87, highest $27.87.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $27.87. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 87177 ($50.00). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAQ681 OVA-PARASITES S | $1.75 | file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAOVA AND PARASITES SMEARS | $1.75 | file |