Biopsy pathology exam cost in Boston, MA — inpatient
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 7 hospitals list a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV) as an inpatient: from $77.72 to $199.35, with a median of $134.40. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center South — $56.68 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $134.40 at 16 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 5 cities for code 88305, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Chg Level IV Surg Pathology Gross&Microscopic Exam | $77.72 | $172.72 | $62.45–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South lowest Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Chg Level IV Surg Pathology Gross&Microscopic Exam Hema | $77.72 | $172.72 | $62.45–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Chg Level IV Surg Pathology Gross&Microscopic Exam Hema | $86.66 | $192.58 | $62.45–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Chg Level IV Surg Pathology Gross&Microscopic Exam | $86.66 | $192.58 | $62.45–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Surg Path Level IV - Lab Surg Path Level IV | $134.40 | $192.00 | $67.20–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Surg Path Level IV - Lab Surg Path Level IV | $134.40 | $192.00 | $50.42–$262.93 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Surg Path Level IV - Lab Surg Path Level IV | $134.40 | $192.00 | $67.20–$207.45 | 30% | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Level IV Surg Pathology Gross & Microscopic Exam So | $160.00 | $160.00 | $54.28–$198.73 | — | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Surg Path Larger Diag | $160.00 | $160.00 | $54.28–$198.73 | — | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Chg Level IV Surg Pathology Gross&Microscopic Exam | $199.35 | $443.00 | $35.03–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Chg Level IV Surg Pathology Gross&Microscopic Exam Hema | $199.35 | $443.00 | $35.03–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $77.72, median $134.40, highest $199.35 — a 2.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $134.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 7 of 7 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
This code covers the lab exam of a tissue sample under a microscope. Most biopsies use it, including skin, colon polyp, stomach, breast core and prostate core biopsies.
What the price covers
The price is usually for one specimen. Each separate specimen is billed again, and the pathologist's reading may be billed separately.