Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Duluth, MN — inpatient
In Duluth, MN-WI, 5 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening as an inpatient: from $27.99 to $124.03, with a median of $77.22. The lowest listed price is at Range Regional Health Services — $49.23 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $77.22 at 45 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 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 Jan 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 Duluth, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Regional Health Services lowest Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $27.99 | $65.85 | $29.96–$65.53 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Range Regional Health Services Hibbing, MN · (218) 362-6730 HC PAP THIN PREP DIAG GICH TC | $49.73 | $117.00 | $53.24–$116.43 | 57% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN · (218) 786-3574 PAP DIAGNOSTIC THIN LAYER PREP | $77.22 | $117.00 | $50.18–$100.62 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center Duluth, MN · (218) 786-3574 PAP SCREEN THIN LAYER PREP | $77.22 | $117.00 | $50.18–$100.62 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN · (218) 786-2652 PAP DIAGNOSTIC THIN LAYER PREP | $77.22 | $117.00 | $48.39–$100.62 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health Duluth Duluth, MN · (218) 786-2652 PAP SCREEN THIN LAYER PREP | $77.22 | $117.00 | $48.39–$100.62 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Children's Hospital Duluth, MN PAP DIAGNOSTIC THIN LAYER PREP | $77.22 | $117.00 | $50.18–$100.62 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Essentia Health St. Mary's Children's Hospital Duluth, MN PAP SCREEN THIN LAYER PREP | $77.22 | $117.00 | $50.18–$100.62 | 34% | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 CYTP CERV/VAG AUTO THIN LAYER PREP MNL SCREEN | $124.03 | $228.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Fac Cytopath, C/V, Thin Layer | $124.03 | $228.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Aspirus St. Luke’s Hospital Duluth, MN · (218) 249-2449 Fac Cytopath,Auto Thnprep Pap | $124.03 | $228.00 | — | 46% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $27.99, median $77.22, highest $124.03 — a 4.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $77.22 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 4 of 4 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.