Biopsy pathology exam cost in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV): from $318.60 to $344.07, with a median of $331.34. The lowest listed price is at Boone Hospital Center — $12.74 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $187.56 at 24 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 88305, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hospital Center lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 LEVEL 4 (GROSS/MICRO) TC | $318.60 | $531.00 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LEVEL IV SURGICAL PATHOLOGY P31030236 | $344.07 | $573.45 | $200.71–$504.64 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 LEVEL IV SURGICAL PATHOLOGY P28630236 | $344.07 | $573.45 | $200.71–$504.64 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 ASPIRATE CLOT SECTION PROCESSING P30325216 | $361.26 | $602.10 | $210.74–$529.85 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 SURG PATH LEV IV P30350321 | $361.26 | $602.10 | $210.74–$529.85 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 NERVEPATH LEVEL IV WET TS (NPWT) P31032773 | $361.26 | $602.10 | $210.74–$529.85 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 SURG PATH LEV IV P31088305 | $361.26 | $602.10 | $50.80–$52.78 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 NERVEPATH LEVEL IV WET TS (NPWT) P28632773 | $361.26 | $602.10 | $210.74–$529.85 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 BONE MARROW BIOPSY INTERP PS P30321103 | $361.26 | $602.10 | $210.74–$529.85 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $318.60, median $331.34, highest $344.07 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $331.34. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.