Biopsy pathology exam cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 14 hospitals list a cash price for biopsy tissue exam by a pathologist (level IV): from $22.96 to $672.12, with a median of $33.92. The lowest listed price is at Touro Infirmary — $10.96 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $84.96 at 59 hospitals.
- The median here, $33.92, is 80% below the US median of $171.00.
- That is 0.6× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($53.24).
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 6 cities for code 88305, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 16, 2026.
Lowest$22.96Touro Infirmary
Median$33.92half of hospitals charge less
Highest$672.12in this market
Difference29.3×highest vs lowest
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.
median
Lowest $22.96Highest $672.12
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Arup Kidney Biopsy Level IV Exam File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $22.96 | $164.00 | $116.44–$83.48 | 86% |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method+3 more lines at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 988-5263 Ej Ref Lab G&M Level IV; 2 Slides Blocks+3 more lines at this price File of Jun 25, 2026 · source file | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 988-5263 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method+3 more lines at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $28.56 | $204.00 | $100.99–$99.96 | 86% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 *HC G&M LEVEL IV (MUSCLE OR NERVE BX)-RL File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $29.40 | $105.00 | $40.14–$173.45 | 72% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC SKIN, MODERATE,SINGLE SPECIMEN File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $29.70 | $110.00 | $19.23–$171.10 | 73% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC SKIN, MODERATE,SINGLE SPECIMEN+1 more line at this price File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $30.80 | $110.00 | $40.14–$173.45 | 72% |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Ej Ref Lab G&M Level IV; 2 Slides Blocks File of Jun 30, 2026 · source file | $32.64 | $204.00 | $156.06–$96.70 | 84% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC BM BX PREP/INTERP File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $35.20 | $110.00 | $40.14–$159.32 | 68% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC TISSUE, G & M, LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $38.88 | $144.00 | $19.23–$171.10 | 73% |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method+1 more line at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $39.76 | $284.00 | $104.51–$76.69 | 86% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC RENAL BIOPSY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $42.39 | $157.00 | $19.23–$171.10 | 73% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC RENAL BIOPSY File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $43.96 | $157.00 | $40.14–$173.45 | 72% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC TISSUE, G & M, LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $45.44 | $142.00 | $40.14–$159.32 | 68% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC TISSUE, G & M, LEVEL IV File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $47.04 | $168.00 | $40.14–$173.45 | 72% |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC TISSUE, G & M, LEVEL IV File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $56.54 | $257.00 | $19.23–$231.30 | 78% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC RENAL BIOPSY File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $64.00 | $200.00 | $40.14–$159.32 | 68% |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity+2 more lines at this price File of Jul 1, 2026 · source file | $68.42 | $311.00 | $107.36–$80.07 | 78% |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method+2 more lines at this price File of Jun 24, 2026 · source file | $72.90 | $270.00 | $105.30–$92.60 | 73% |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC LEVEL 4 GROSS & MICROSCOPIC, RB - RL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $73.26 | $333.00 | $19.23–$299.70 | 78% |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Prostate Needle Biopsy Any Method+2 more lines at this price File of Jun 30, 2026 · source file | $79.36 | $496.00 | $148.80–$96.61 | 84% |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 *HC SKIN, MODERATE, MULTI EACH+9 more lines at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $84.70 | $385.00 | $19.23–$346.50 | 78% |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Pathology Examination of Tissue Using a Microscope Intermediate Complexity+1 more line at this price File of Jun 24, 2026 · source file | $84.96 | $531.00 | $108.60–$87.72 | 84% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC LEVEL 4 GROSS & MICROSCOPIC, RB - RL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $89.91 | $333.00 | $19.23–$283.05 | 73% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC LEVEL 4 GROSS & MICROSCOPIC, RB - RL File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $93.24 | $333.00 | $40.14–$286.05 | 72% |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC MUSCLE OR NERVE TISSSUE EXAM - RL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $103.95 | $385.00 | $19.23–$327.25 | 73% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC LEVEL 4 GROSS & MICROSCOPIC, RB - RL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $106.56 | $333.00 | $40.14–$249.75 | 68% |
| St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 529-6600 TISSUE EXAM BY PATHOLOGIST LEVEL IV,Technical Component File of Aug 17, 2026 · source file | $113.06 | $320.58 | $32.42–$146.83 | 65% |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC MUSCLE OR NERVE TISSSUE EXAM - RL File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $123.20 | $385.00 | $40.14–$288.75 | 68% |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC TISSUE G&M LVL IV MULTI BX, EA File of Sep 16, 2026 · source file | $132.72 | $474.00 | $40.14–$407.17 | 72% |
| Omega Hospital Metairie, LA · (504) 616-3897 LEVEL IV SURG PATHOLOGY GROSS&MICROSCOPIC EXAM File of May 26, 2026 · source file | $672.12 | $1,152.21 | $1,152.21–$1,920.35 | 42% |
Hospital The hospital that published the price, its city and the line exactly as written in its price file.
Cash price The hospital's own price for a patient paying without insurance (“discounted cash” in its price file). Hospitals must publish it under federal law, 45 CFR 180.50. Call to confirm it before booking. More
List price The hospital's full chargemaster price (“gross charge”) before any discount. Almost nobody pays it; the gap to the cash price shows what the self-pay discount is worth. More
Insurers pay The lowest and highest rates this hospital has agreed with insurance plans for the same item, from its price file. If the cash price is below what your plan pays and you have not met your deductible, paying cash can cost you less. More
Off list How much lower the cash price is than the list price.
At or below Medicare This cash price is at or below what Medicare pays a hospital for the same service, which is unusually low. It is what the hospital's file says; confirm it and what it includes before booking. More
Outpatient: lowest $22.96, median $33.92, highest $672.12 — a 29.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $53.06. 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 14 of 14 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 11 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 biopsy pathology exam is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Biopsy pathology exam explained.