Lab tests CPT 87493 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

C. diff test cost in Milwaukee, WI — inpatient

In Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, 13 hospitals list a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR) as an inpatient: from $59.36 to $140.39, with a median of $115.00. The lowest listed price is at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee and 1 other hospital — $55.64 less than the median here. Across Wisconsin, the median is $143.02 at 80 hospitals.

Cash prices at 13 facilities across 10 cities for code 87493, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 21, 2025 and Mar 23, 2026.

Lowest$59.36Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee + 1 more
Median$115.00half pay less
Highest$140.39in this market
Difference2.4×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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI.

median
Lowest $59.36Highest $191.33

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee lowest Mequon, WI HC C DIFF, TOX GEN(S), AMPL TECHN $59.36 $112.00 $39.13–$83.11 47% —
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Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee lowest Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC C DIFF, TOX GEN(S), AMPL TECHN $59.36 $112.00 $39.13–$83.11 47% —
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Columbia St. Mary's Glendale, WI C DIFFICILE TOXIN AMPLI PROBE $108.65 $205.00 $36.15–$85.60 47% —
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Aurora Medical Center Kenosha Kenosha, WI · (262) 948-5600 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora Psychiatric Hospital Wauwatosa, WI · (414) 454-6600 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora Sinai Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Milwaukee, WI C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora St Lukes Medical Center of Aurora Health Care Metro Milwaukee, WI · (414) 649-6000 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora St Lukes South Shore of Aurora Health Care Metro Cudahy, WI C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora West Allis Medical Center West Allis, WI · (414) 328-6000 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora Medical Center Grafton Grafton, WI · (262) 329-1000 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora Medical Center Washington County Hartford, WI · (262) 673-2300 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Aurora Medical Center Summit Summit, WI · (262) 434-1600 C DIFFICILE TOXIN BY PCR $115.00 $230.00 $138.00–$195.50 50% Nov 21, 2025
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Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE NAAT $140.39 $255.25 $178.68–$242.49 45% Mar 23, 2026
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Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI · (414) 266-3954 HBC CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE NAAT $140.39 $255.25 $178.68–$242.49 45% Mar 23, 2026
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Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee Mequon, WI HC CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE AMPLIFIED PROBE $191.33 $361.00 $39.13–$160.13 47% —
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Columbia St. Mary's Hospital Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI · (414) 585-1374 HC CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE AMPLIFIED PROBE $191.33 $361.00 $39.13–$160.13 47% —
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Inpatient: lowest $59.36, median $115.00, highest $140.39 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 17 facilities here, median $115.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 12 of 13 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 10 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

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.