Pap smear (lab reading) cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening: from $19.32 to $32.40, with a median of $20.74. The lowest listed price is at Touro Infirmary — $1.42 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $21.60 at 11 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 3 cities for code 88142, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $19.32 | $138.00 | $103.50–$97.98 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $19.88 | $142.00 | $142.00–$94.56 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $19.88 | $142.00 | $142.00–$94.56 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $19.88 | $142.00 | $142.00–$94.56 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $21.60 | $135.00 | $135.00–$81.00 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $24.80 | $155.00 | $118.58–$73.47 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $31.68 | $144.00 | $144.00–$81.50 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Pap Test (Pap Smear) | $32.40 | $120.00 | $111.60–$84.00 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Ej Ref Lab Thin Prep Normal/Gyn | $43.40 | $310.00 | $15.87–$93.00 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Ej Ref Lab Thin Prep Normal/Gyn | $43.40 | $310.00 | $15.87–$93.00 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Ej Ref Lab Thin Prep Normal/Gyn | $43.40 | $310.00 | $15.87–$93.00 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Ej Ref Lab Thin Prep Normal/Gyn | $49.60 | $310.00 | $146.94–$93.00 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $19.32, median $20.74, highest $32.40 — a 1.7× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 8 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.