Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Altoona, PA — inpatient
In Altoona, PA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening as an inpatient: from $61.20 to $311.00, with a median of $186.10. The lowest listed price is at UPMC Altoona — $124.90 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $61.20 at 53 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 88142, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 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 Altoona, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPMC Altoona lowest Altoona, PA · (814) 889-2011 THIN PREP-DIAGNOSTIC | $61.20 | $102.00 | $51.00–$81.60 | 40% | — source file |
| Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone, PA · (814) 684-1255 88142 AP Bill Gyn Cytology - Thin Prep | $311.00 | $311.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Penn Highlands Tyrone Tyrone, PA · (814) 684-1255 TPPap Diag | $311.00 | $311.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $61.20, median $186.10, highest $311.00 — a 5.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $186.10 — 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 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 code covers the lab work on a Pap test collected in liquid, where the sample is prepared as a thin layer and screened for abnormal cervical cells. It is not the exam where the sample is collected.
What the price covers
The price usually covers preparing and screening the sample. The visit and pelvic exam, an HPV test on the same sample (87624) and a pathologist's review of abnormal cells are billed separately.