Biopsy pathology exam cost in Carlsbad, NM — inpatient
In Carlsbad-Artesia, NM, 2 hospitals list a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV) as an inpatient: from $52.40 to $220.20, with a median of $136.30. The lowest listed price is at Carlsbad Medical Center — $83.90 less than the median here. Across New Mexico, the median is $163.08 at 11 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 88305, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 20, 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 Carlsbad-Artesia, NM.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad Medical Center lowest Carlsbad, NM · (575) 887-4570 SURG PATH GROSS LVL4 | $52.40 | $262.00 | $52.40–$243.66 | 80% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Artesia General Hospital Artesia, NM · (575) 748-3333 SURG PAT LEV IV | $220.20 | $367.00 | $73.01–$348.65 | 40% | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $52.40, median $136.30, highest $220.20 — a 4.2× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $123.20 — 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 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.