Biopsy pathology exam cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 8 hospitals list a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV): from $22.96 to $84.96, with a median of $30.60. The lowest listed price is at Touro Infirmary — $7.64 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $33.02 at 13 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 3 cities for code 88305, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $22.96 | $164.00 | $116.44–$83.48 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Ej Ref Lab G&M Level IV; 2 Slides Blocks | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $28.56 | $204.00 | $135.84–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Ej Ref Lab G&M Level IV; 2 Slides Blocks | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $28.56 | $204.00 | $135.84–$99.96 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $28.56 | $204.00 | $135.84–$99.96 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA Ej Ref Lab G&M Level IV; 2 Slides Blocks | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Ej Ref Lab G&M Level IV; 2 Slides Blocks | $32.64 | $204.00 | $156.06–$96.70 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $39.76 | $284.00 | $104.51–$70.93 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $39.76 | $284.00 | $104.51–$76.69 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $68.42 | $311.00 | $107.36–$72.97 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $68.42 | $311.00 | $107.36–$80.07 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $68.42 | $311.00 | $107.36–$80.07 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $72.90 | $270.00 | $105.30–$92.60 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $72.90 | $270.00 | $105.30–$92.60 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $72.90 | $270.00 | $105.30–$83.70 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $79.36 | $496.00 | $148.80–$96.61 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam | $79.36 | $496.00 | $148.80–$96.61 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $79.36 | $496.00 | $148.80–$95.58 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity | $84.96 | $531.00 | $108.60–$87.72 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method | $84.96 | $531.00 | $108.60–$87.72 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $22.96, median $30.60, highest $84.96 — a 3.7× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 8 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 8 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 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.