Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Minneapolis, MN — inpatient
In Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, 16 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening as an inpatient: from $26.41 to $140.64, with a median of $53.15. The lowest listed price is at Fairview Bethesda Hospital — $26.74 less than the median here. Across Minnesota, the median is $77.22 at 45 hospitals.
Cash prices at 16 facilities across 14 cities for code 88142, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jan 29, 2026 and Jun 17, 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairview Bethesda Hospital lowest St. Paul, MN HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $26.41 | $65.85 | $17.61–$59.27 | 60% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| Regions Hospital St. Paul, MN · (651) 254-1616 Cytopath Cerv/Vag Thin Layer | $30.68 | $118.00 | $19.80–$94.40 | 74% | — source file |
| Regions Hospital St. Paul, MN · (651) 254-1616 Cytopathology | $30.68 | $118.00 | $19.80–$94.40 | 74% | — source file |
| M Health Fairview University of Mn Medical Center Minneapolis, MN · (612) 624-1765 PR CYTP CERV/VAG AUTO THIN LAYER PREP MNL SCREEN | $36.37 | $58.00 | $20.23–$52.20 | 37% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Hospital St. Louis Park, MN Cytopath Cerv/Vag Thin Layer | $39.52 | $152.00 | $18.35–$114.00 | 74% | — source file |
| Methodist Hospital St. Louis Park, MN Cytopathology | $39.78 | $153.00 | $18.35–$114.75 | 74% | — source file |
| Westfields Hospital New Richmond, WI · (715) 246-2101 Cytopath Cerv/Vag Thin Layer | $45.24 | $86.00 | $34.16–$86.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Westfields Hospital New Richmond, WI · (715) 246-2101 Cytopathology | $45.24 | $86.00 | $34.16–$86.00 | 47% | — source file |
| Fairview Bethesda Hospital St. Paul, MN HC PAP THIN PREP DIAG GICH TC | $46.92 | $117.00 | $31.29–$105.30 | 60% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| HealthEast Woodwinds Hospital Woodbury, MN · (651) 232-2185 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $53.15 | $132.53 | $69.05–$119.28 | 60% | Feb 5, 2026 source file |
| M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital Edina, MN · (952) 924-5000 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $53.15 | $132.53 | $69.05–$119.28 | 60% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Lakes Health Services Wyoming, MN · (952) 892-2101 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $53.15 | $132.53 | $69.05–$119.28 | 60% | Feb 5, 2026 source file |
| HealthEast St John's Hospital Maplewood, MN · (651) 232-7000 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $53.15 | $132.53 | $69.05–$119.28 | 60% | Feb 5, 2026 source file |
| Fairview Northland Regional Hospital Princeton, MN · (952) 892-2101 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $53.15 | $132.53 | $69.05–$119.28 | 60% | Jan 29, 2026 source file |
| M Health Fairview University of Mn Medical Center Minneapolis, MN · (612) 624-1765 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $53.34 | $133.00 | $69.29–$119.70 | 60% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital Burnsville, MN · (952) 892-2000 HC PAP THIN LAYER DIAGNOSTIC | $56.53 | $133.00 | $69.29–$119.70 | 57% | Feb 6, 2026 source file |
| Buffalo Hospital Buffalo, MN · (763) 682-1212 HCHG THIN PREP PAP DIAGNOSTIC | $118.83 | $212.20 | $94.28–$212.20 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge, MN · (763) 689-7700 HCHG THIN PREP PAP DIAGNOSTIC | $118.83 | $212.20 | $94.28–$212.20 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems River Falls, WI HCHG THIN PREP PAP DIAGNOSTIC | $118.83 | $212.20 | $130.01–$212.20 | 44% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital Minneapolis, MN · (612) 863-4000 HCHG THIN PREP PAP DIAGNOSTIC | $140.64 | $293.00 | $196.08–$246.12 | 52% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Coon Rapids, MN · (762) 236-6000 HCHG THIN PREP PAP DIAGNOSTIC | $140.64 | $293.00 | $196.08–$246.12 | 52% | Jun 17, 2026 source file |
| Buffalo Hospital Buffalo, MN · (763) 682-1212 HCHG CYTO ENDOCX BRUSHINGS THIN PREP | $169.34 | $302.40 | $134.36–$302.40 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Allina Health Systems River Falls, WI HCHG CYTO ENDOCX BRUSHINGS THIN PREP | $169.34 | $302.40 | $185.28–$302.40 | 44% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Cambridge Medical Center Cambridge, MN · (763) 689-7700 HCHG CYTO ENDOCX BRUSHINGS THIN PREP | $169.34 | $302.40 | $134.36–$302.40 | 44% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Hospital Coon Rapids, MN · (762) 236-6000 HCHG CYTO ENDOCX BRUSHINGS THIN PREP | $211.54 | $440.70 | $294.92–$370.19 | 52% | Jun 17, 2026 source file |
| Abbott Northwestern Hospital Minneapolis, MN · (612) 863-4000 HCHG CYTO ENDOCX BRUSHINGS THIN PREP | $211.54 | $440.70 | $294.92–$370.19 | 52% | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $26.41, median $53.15, highest $140.64 — a 5.3× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 16 facilities here, median $53.25 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 16 of 16 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 9 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.