C. diff test cost in Philadelphia, PA
In Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 18 hospitals list a cash price for C. difficile toxin gene test (stool PCR): from $37.00 to $760.93, with a median of $118.85. The lowest listed price is at Lower Bucks Hospital and 1 other hospital — $81.85 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $207.60 at 63 hospitals.
Cash prices at 18 facilities across 14 cities 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 Mar 24, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Bucks Hospital lowest Bristol, PA · (215) 785-9200 Hc Cytomed, Dna, Amp Probe | $37.00 | $285.00 | $29.82–$228.00 | 87% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Roxborough Memorial Hospital lowest Philadelphia, PA · (215) 483-9900 Hc Cytomed, Dna, Amp Probe | $37.00 | $600.00 | $29.82–$582.00 | 94% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Roxborough Memorial Hospital lowest Philadelphia, PA · (215) 483-9900 Hc Cytomed, Dna, Amp Probe | $37.00 | $600.00 | $29.82–$582.00 | 94% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Clostridium Difficile Toxin Gene(S) | $86.45 | $133.00 | $37.18–$301.67 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| The Bryn Mawr Hospital Bryn Mawr, PA · (610) 526-3000 Hc C.Diff Tox Gene,Amplifd Pr | $88.00 | $220.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Riddle Memorial Hospital Media, PA · (610) 566-9400 Hc C.Diff Tox Gene,Amplifd Pr | $88.00 | $220.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Paoli Hospital Paoli, PA · (610) 648-1000 Hc C.Diff Tox Gene,Amplifd Pr | $88.00 | $220.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Lankenau Medical Center Wynnewood, PA · (610) 645-2000 Hc C.Diff Tox Gene,Amplifd Pr | $88.00 | $220.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital Malvern, PA Hc C.Diff Tox Gene,Amplifd Pr | $88.00 | $220.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Elmer Elmer, NJ · (856) 363-1000 C Difficile Toxin DNA | $118.85 | $118.85 | $24.03–$161.37 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mannington Salem, NJ C Difficile Toxin DNA | $118.85 | $118.85 | $20.03–$161.37 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill Mullica Hill, NJ C Difficile Toxin DNA | $118.85 | $118.85 | $24.03–$161.37 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Woodbury Woodbury, NJ C Difficile Toxin DNA | $118.85 | $118.85 | $22.73–$161.37 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| St. Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Clostridium Difficile Toxin Gene(S) Nap-1 | $123.50 | $190.00 | $36.52–$319.58 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Clostridium Difficile Toxin Gene(S) | $123.50 | $190.00 | $36.52–$319.58 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Clostridium Difficile Toxin Gene(S) | $158.60 | $244.00 | $24.40–$261.15 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Clostridium Difficile Toxin Gene(S) Nap-1 | $158.60 | $244.00 | $24.40–$261.15 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Amplified Probe Clostridium Difficile Toxin Gene(S) | $158.60 | $244.00 | $37.27–$473.55 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA · (215) 430-4000 C DIFF AMPLIFIED PROBE | $220.40 | $220.40 | $29.82–$52.18 | — | — source file |
| Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 651-4000 Clostridium Difficile Pcr | $428.00 | $428.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 651-4000 Clostridium Difficile Pcr | $428.00 | $428.00 | — | — | — source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA · (215) 590-1000 C.Difficile,Toxin Gene, Amp Probe | $760.93 | $760.93 | $54.30–$684.84 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $37.00, median $118.85, highest $760.93 — a 20.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $118.85. 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 10 of 12 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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.