Lab tests CPT 87493 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

C. diff test cost in Cookeville, TN — inpatient

In Cookeville, TN, 1 hospital lists a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR) as an inpatient: from $197.91 to $197.91, with a median of $197.91. Across Tennessee, the median is $69.52 at 44 hospitals.

Cash prices at 1 facility for code 87493, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$197.91Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital
Median$197.91half pay less
Highest$197.91in this market
Difference1.0×highest vs lowest

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Saint Thomas Highlands Hospital Sparta, TN · (931) 738-9211 C DIFF BY DNA SCREEN $197.91 $659.70 $24.61–$135.44 70% —
source file

Inpatient: lowest $197.91, median $197.91, highest $197.91.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $197.91 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not 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

This stool test looks for the toxin gene of Clostridioides difficile, a cause of severe diarrhea, often after antibiotics or a hospital stay.

What the price covers

The price usually covers running the stool test; the collection kit is often included.