Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Tucson, AZ — inpatient
In Tucson, AZ, 3 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening as an inpatient: from $21.56 to $24.25, with a median of $23.36. The lowest listed price is at Tucson Medical Center — $1.80 less than the median here. Across Arizona, the median is $24.94 at 21 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities for code 88142, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 2, 2026 and Apr 30, 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 Tucson, AZ.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson Medical Center lowest Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Thinprep Pap | $21.56 | $77.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center lowest Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Thinprep Pap | $21.56 | $77.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Thin Prep Pap Relex | $22.40 | $80.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 HC Thin Prep Pap Relex | $22.40 | $80.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Banner University Med Center South Tucson, AZ · (520) 874-2000 LAB SCR MANUAL CYTOPATH CERV/VAG | $23.36 | $99.00 | $44.55–$79.20 | 76% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Banner University Medical Center Tucson Tucson, AZ · (520) 874-4189 LAB SCR MANUAL CYTOPATH CERV/VAG | $24.25 | $99.00 | $44.55–$79.20 | 76% | Mar 2, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 Cytopath Pap Smear Thin Prep | $41.44 | $148.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Tucson Medical Center Tucson, AZ · (520) 324-1399 Cytopath Pap Smear Thin Prep | $41.44 | $148.00 | — | 72% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $21.56, median $23.36, highest $24.25 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $23.36 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 2 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.