Lab tests CPT 87493 Outpatient

C. diff test cost in Lexington, KY

In Lexington-Fayette, KY, 2 hospitals list a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR): from $133.42 to $441.65, with a median of $287.54. The lowest listed price is at University of Kentucky Hospital — $154.12 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $268.16 at 15 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 87493, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 17, 2026.

Lowest$133.42University of Kentucky Hospital
Median$287.54half pay less
Highest$441.65in this market
Difference3.3×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Lexington-Fayette, KY.

median
Lowest $133.42Highest $441.65

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
University of Kentucky Hospital lowest Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc Clostridium Difficile Pcr $133.42 $333.55 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Baptist Health Lexington Lexington, KY · (859) 260-6100 Detection test by nucleic acid for clostridium difficile, amplified probe technique $441.65 $588.87 $29.83–$1,197.17 25% Sep 17, 2026
source file

Outpatient: lowest $133.42, median $287.54, highest $441.65 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.

As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $133.42. 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

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.