Blood culture cost in Colorado
In Colorado, 46 hospitals publish a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $13.33 to $1,812.01, with a median of $209.10. The lowest price is at Sterling Regional Medical Center (Sterling). The highest price is 135.9× the lowest.
- The median here, $209.10, is 81% above the US median of $115.50.
- That is 20.3× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($10.32).
- Colorado ranks 46th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 20 of 46 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Colorado's Hospital Discounted Care law (HB21-1198): for qualifying patients with household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level, hospitals and the clinicians who work in them may charge no more than the greater of the Medicare rate or the Medicaid base rate, and monthly payments are capped. That can be less than the cash prices below; ask the hospital to screen you for discounted care. Other states' laws.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 87040. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 10, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$13.33Sterling Regional Medical Center
Median$209.10half of hospitals charge less
Highest$1,812.01in Colorado
Lowest saves$195.77vs the median
Hospitals in Colorado, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Regional Medical Center lowest Sterling · Sterling, CO LAB CULT BACT AEROBIC BLOOD | $13.33 | $31.00 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| East Morgan County Hospital Brush · Fort Morgan, CO LAB CULT BACT AEROBIC BLOOD | $20.71 | $31.00 | Sep 23, 2026 source file |
| Wray Community District Hospital Wray · Wray, CO Aerobic Blood Culture, PSPC | $42.22 | $56.29 | Mar 1, 2024 source file |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE, BLOOD | $62.04 | $177.24 | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Family Health West Hospital Fruita · Grand Junction, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $72.80 | $104.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Pagosa Springs Medical Center Pagosa Springs · Pagosa Springs, CO Blood Culture, Routine LC | $83.12 | $103.90 | Sep 24, 2026 source file |
| Community Hospital Grand Junction · Grand Junction, CO BACTERIAL BLOOD CULTURE | $83.44 | $149.00 | Mar 13, 2026 source file |
| San Luis Valley Health Alamosa · Alamosa, CO BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $87.45 | $159.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| San Luis Valley Health Conejos County Hospital La Jara · Alamosa, CO BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $87.45 | $159.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Middle Park Health - Fraser Fraser · Fraser, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD W ISOL | $88.66 | $110.82 | Apr 28, 2026 source file |
| Middle Park Medical Center Kremmling · Kremmling, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD W ISOL | $88.66 | $110.82 | Apr 27, 2026 source file |
| Middle Park Medical Center-Granby Granby · Granby, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD W ISOL | $88.66 | $110.82 | Apr 27, 2026 source file |
| National Jewish Health Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $91.18 | $130.25 | Mar 1, 2026 source file |
| Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital Luther Eads · Luther Eads, CO Bacterial blood culture | $106.20 | $177.00 | Jun 29, 2026 source file |
| Yuma Disctrict Hospital Yuma · Yuma, CO Blood Culture HBL | $126.00 | $168.00 | May 28, 2026 source file |
| Delta Health Hospital Delta · Delta, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $127.20 | $212.00 | Apr 2, 2026 source file |
| Grand River Medical Center Rifle · Rifle, CO BACTERIAL BLOOD CULTURE | $143.50 | $287.00 | Feb 20, 2026 source file |
| Vail Health Hospital Vail · Edwards, CO Blood Culture | $144.00 | $192.00 | Aug 5, 2026 source file |
| Haxtun Hospital District Haxtun · Haxtun, CO Acid Fast Bacteria Cult | $147.00 | $196.00 | — source file |
| Gunnison Valley Hospital Gunnison · Gunnison, CO Bacterial blood culture | $166.60 | $196.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Rangely Hospital District Rangely · Rangely, CO Bacterial blood culture | $177.53 | $273.12 | Sep 24, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HB=CSHB CULT BACT BLOOD | $182.00 | $280.00 | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Melissa Memorial Hospital Holyoke · Holyoke, CO Bacterial blood culture | $190.40 | $238.00 | Nov 7, 2026 source file |
| Salida Hospital District Salida · Salida, CO Bacterial blood culture | $227.80 | $268.00 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| Boulder Community Health Boulder · Boulder, CO HC CULTURE, BLOOD (ONE SET) | $230.50 | $461.00 | Sep 16, 2026 source file |
| Lincoln Health Hugo · Hugo, CO Blood culture | $237.00 | $237.00 | Jun 4, 2026 source file |
| Aspen Valley Hospital District Aspen · Rifle, CO HC Culture, Blood | $276.00 | $276.00 | Mar 26, 2026 source file |
| Spalding at Psl Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Culture, bacterial; blood, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates (includes anaerobic culture, if appropriate) | $328.13 | $328.13 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Avista Louisville · Boulder, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD | $331.45 | $331.45 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Craig Hospital Englewood · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO HC CULTURE BLOOD W ISOL | $683.42 | $1,793.75 | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Mountain Ridge Thornton · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,001.28 | $1,001.28 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Northeast ER Thornton · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,001.28 | $1,001.28 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Presbyterian St Lukes Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,153.50 | $1,153.50 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Swedish Englewood · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,157.84 | $1,157.84 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Belmar ER Lakewood · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,257.32 | $1,257.32 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Southwest ER Littleton · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,257.32 | $1,257.32 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Rose Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,422.00 | $1,422.00 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Central Park ER Denver · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,436.00 | $1,436.00 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Sky Ridge Lone Tree · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,469.63 | $1,469.63 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone South Parker ER Parker · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,469.63 | $1,469.63 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centennial Hospital A Campus of Tmca Englewood · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,812.01 | $1,812.01 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| HCA Healthone Aurora Aurora · Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO CULTURE BLOOD | $1,812.01 | $1,812.01 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
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
File date When the hospital last updated its price file, as the file says itself. A dash means the file gives no date.
No cash discount This line's cash price equals the hospital's full list price. Many hospitals still reduce bills for uninsured patients: ask the billing office for its self-pay discount in writing. More
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 21 | $62.04 | $1,001.28 |
| Alamosa, CO | 2 | $87.45 | $87.45 |
| Boulder, CO | 2 | $230.50 | $280.98 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 2 | $72.80 | $78.12 |
| Rifle, CO | 2 | $143.50 | $209.75 |
| Delta, CO | 1 | $127.20 | $127.20 |
| Edwards, CO | 1 | $144.00 | $144.00 |
| Fraser, CO | 1 | $88.66 | $88.66 |
| Fort Morgan, CO | 1 | $20.71 | $20.71 |
| Granby, CO | 1 | $88.66 | $88.66 |
| Gunnison, CO | 1 | $166.60 | $166.60 |
| Haxtun, CO | 1 | $147.00 | $147.00 |
| Holyoke, CO | 1 | $190.40 | $190.40 |
| Hugo, CO | 1 | $237.00 | $237.00 |
| Kremmling, CO | 1 | $88.66 | $88.66 |
| Luther Eads, CO | 1 | $106.20 | $106.20 |
| Pagosa Springs, CO | 1 | $83.12 | $83.12 |
| Rangely, CO | 1 | $177.53 | $177.53 |
| Salida, CO | 1 | $227.80 | $227.80 |
| Sterling, CO | 1 | $13.33 | $13.33 |
| Wray, CO | 1 | $42.22 | $42.22 |
| Yuma, CO | 1 | $126.00 | $126.00 |
Market A metro area (as the Census Bureau defines it) or, outside metro areas, a town. Each links to every hospital price there.
Hospitals How many hospitals publish a cash price for this code here. Each hospital counts once, at its lowest outpatient cash price.
Lowest The lowest cash price among those hospitals.
Median The middle cash price: half of the hospitals charge less, half charge more. One price per hospital. More
What blood culture is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Blood culture explained.
Blood culture for bacteria in other states
- Alabama$81.98
- Alaska$209.15
- Arizona$126.65
- Arkansas$49.26
- California$272.16
- Connecticut$67.61
- Delaware$188.16
- District of Columbia$95.80, 3 hospitals
- Florida$341.00
- Georgia$150.76
- Hawaii$100.10
- Idaho$113.25
- Illinois$144.59
- Indiana$130.50
- Iowa$91.80
- Kansas$78.30
- Kentucky$112.10
- Louisiana$45.00
- Maine$83.73
- Maryland$109.77
- Massachusetts$79.00
- Michigan$63.00
- Minnesota$116.44
- Mississippi$89.20
- Missouri$111.24
- Montana$151.46
- Nebraska$186.89
- Nevada$236.30
- New Hampshire$140.45
- New Jersey$55.27
- New Mexico$131.08
- New York$62.83
- North Carolina$152.11
- North Dakota$85.00
- Ohio$93.60
- Oklahoma$73.78
- Oregon$110.16
- Pennsylvania$84.80
- Puerto Rico$44.42
- Rhode Island$82.80
- South Carolina$153.60
- South Dakota$164.00
- Tennessee$54.23
- Texas$204.31
- Utah$282.52
- Vermont$136.00
- Virginia$103.50
- Washington$149.05
- West Virginia$74.19
- Wisconsin$85.80
- Wyoming$110.78
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.