Pap smear cost in Washington, DC
In Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, 7 hospitals list a cash price for Pap test (liquid-based, automated screening with review): from $15.50 to $98.00, with a median of $98.00. The lowest listed price is at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center — $82.50 less than the median here.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 cities for code 88175, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center lowest Woodbridge, VA · (703) 523-1000 Chgl (Qu) 88175 Thinprep Imaging Pap And C. Trachomatis, N. Gonorrhoeae, S/O | $15.50 | $31.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Jefferson Medical Center Ranson, WV · (304) 728-1600 CYTOPATH C/V AUTO FLUID REDO | $82.00 | $164.00 | — | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Fairfax Hospital Falls Church, VA · (703) 698-1110 HC CYTOPATHOLOGY CERVICAL/VAGINAL AUTO THIN LYR PREP W/SCR MANUAL RESCR PHYS | $98.00 | $196.00 | $24.23–$186.53 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Alexandria Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 504-3167 HC CYTOPATHOLOGY CERVICAL/VAGINAL AUTO THIN LYR PREP W/SCR MANUAL RESCR PHYS | $98.00 | $196.00 | $24.23–$186.53 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Mount Vernon Hospital Alexandria, VA · (703) 664-7105 HC CYTOPATHOLOGY CERVICAL/VAGINAL AUTO THIN LYR PREP W/SCR MANUAL RESCR PHYS | $98.00 | $196.00 | $24.23–$186.53 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Loudoun Hospital Leesburg, VA · (703) 858-6600 HC CYTOPATHOLOGY CERVICAL/VAGINAL AUTO THIN LYR PREP W/SCR MANUAL RESCR PHYS | $98.00 | $196.00 | $24.23–$186.53 | 50% | — source file |
| Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Fairfax, VA · (703) 391-4170 HC CYTOPATHOLOGY CERVICAL/VAGINAL AUTO THIN LYR PREP W/SCR MANUAL RESCR PHYS | $98.00 | $196.00 | $24.23–$186.53 | 50% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $15.50, median $98.00, highest $98.00 — a 6.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $98.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it 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
A Pap test checks cells from the cervix for changes that could lead to cancer. This code is the liquid-based Pap read by an automated system with review by a lab specialist.
What the price covers
The price covers the lab exam of the sample. Collecting it is part of the visit, which is billed separately.