Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 17 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening: from $45.85 to $1,575.68, with a median of $321.40. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $275.55 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $152.85 at 36 hospitals.
- The median here, $321.40, is 353% above the US median of $70.94.
- That is 15.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($20.26).
- 14 of 17 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 17 facilities across 8 cities for code 88142, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Oct 30, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC CYTOP,MONOLAYER W/INT CX OR VG File of Apr 30, 2026 · source file | $45.85 | $130.98 | $20.26–$73.35 | 65% |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CYTOLOGY C/VAG THIN LAYER MANUAL SCN THINPREP File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $103.35 | $159.00 | $15.90–$146.28 | 35% |
| Craig Hospital Englewood, CO HC CYTO GYN THIN LAYER+1 more line at this price File of Jun 25, 2026 · source file | $107.07 | $281.00 | $17.22–$252.90 | 62% |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=THINPREP DIAGNOSTIC+1 more line at this price File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $119.08 | $183.20 | $18.32–$168.54 | 35% |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB CYTOLOGY THINPREP PAP File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $159.84 | $245.90 | $24.59–$226.23 | 35% |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CYTOPATHOLOGY, AUTO File of Apr 17, 2026 · source file | $164.45 | $253.00 | $25.30–$232.76 | 35% |
| HCA Healthone Southwest ER Littleton, CO · (303) 788-5000 PAPDX TCSC NORSC TH+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $196.61 | $196.61 | $20.26–$176.95 | — |
| HCA Healthone Swedish Englewood, CO · (303) 788-5000 Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $196.61 | $196.61 | $20.26–$176.95 | — |
| HCA Healthone Belmar ER Lakewood, CO · (303) 788-5000 Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $196.61 | $196.61 | $11.85–$176.95 | — |
| HCA Healthone Presbyterian St Lukes Denver, CO · (303) 839-6000 PAPDX TCSC NORSC TH+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $214.25 | $214.25 | $20.26–$102.84 | — |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — |
| HCA Healthone Central Park ER Denver, CO · (303) 320-2121 PAPDX TCSC NORSC TH+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $523.00 | $523.00 | $20.26–$470.70 | — |
| HCA Healthone Rose Denver, CO · (303) 320-2121 Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $523.00 | $523.00 | $9.22–$470.70 | — |
| HCA Healthone South Parker ER Parker, CO Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,342.69 | $1,342.69 | $20.26–$1,208.42 | — |
| HCA Healthone Sky Ridge Lone Tree, CO · (720) 225-1000 Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision +1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,342.69 | $1,342.69 | $20.26–$1,208.42 | — |
| HCA Healthone Aurora Aurora, CO · (303) 873-5511 PAPDX TCSC NORSC TH+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,575.68 | $1,575.68 | $20.26–$1,418.11 | — |
| Centennial Hospital A Campus of Tmca Englewood, CO · (303) 873-5511 PAPDX TCSC NORSC TH+1 more line at this price File of Sep 1, 2026 · source file | $1,575.68 | $1,575.68 | $20.26–$1,418.11 | — |
Outpatient: lowest $45.85, median $321.40, highest $1,575.68 — a 34.4× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $321.40. 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 3 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 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 Pap smear (lab reading) is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Pap smear (lab reading) explained.