Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Denver, CO — inpatient
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 7 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening as an inpatient: from $45.85 to $321.40, 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 $97.04 at 14 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 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 Jun 25, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC CYTOP,MONOLAYER W/INT CX OR VG | $45.85 | $130.98 | $44.93 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CYTOLOGY C/VAG THIN LAYER MANUAL SCN THINPREP | $103.35 | $159.00 | $23.85–$146.28 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Craig Hospital Englewood, CO HC SUREPATH LIQ BASED THIN PAP DX | $107.07 | $281.00 | $145.56–$252.90 | 62% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Craig Hospital Englewood, CO HC CYTO GYN THIN LAYER | $107.07 | $281.00 | $145.56–$252.90 | 62% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=THINPREP DIAGNOSTIC | $119.08 | $183.20 | $27.48–$168.54 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=THINPREP SCREEN | $119.08 | $183.20 | $27.48–$168.54 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB CYTOLOGY THINPREP PAP | $159.84 | $245.90 | $36.89–$226.23 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CYTOPATHOLOGY, AUTO | $164.45 | $253.00 | $37.95–$232.76 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC PAP SMEAR DIAGNOSTIC MANUAL NO ALT CODE | $321.40 | $321.40 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC PAP SMEAR SCREENING MANUAL ALT CODE G0123 | $324.72 | $324.72 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $45.85, median $321.40, highest $321.40 — a 7.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $321.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 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 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.