Blood culture cost in Montana
In Montana, 27 hospitals publish a cash price for blood culture for bacteria: from $20.93 to $406.80, with a median of $151.46. The lowest price is at St. Peter's Health (Helena). The highest price is 19.4× the lowest.
- The median here, $151.46, is 31% above the US median of $115.50.
- That is 14.7× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($10.32).
- Montana ranks 39th of 51 states by median, cheapest first.
- 6 of 27 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
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$20.93St. Peter's Health
Median$151.46half of hospitals charge less
Highest$406.80in Montana
Lowest saves$130.53vs the median
Hospitals in Montana, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Peter's Health lowest Helena · Helena, MT HC CULTURE BLOOD | $20.93 | $24.62 | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Poplar Community Hospital Poplar · Poplar, MT Bacterial blood culture | $24.38 | $32.50 | Aug 3, 2026 source file |
| Trinity Hospital Wolf Point · Wolf Point, MT Bacterial blood culture | $24.38 | $32.50 | Aug 3, 2026 source file |
| Billings Clinic Broadwater Townsend · Helena, MT Bacterial blood culture | $73.00 | $73.00 | Dec 11, 2025 source file |
| Sidney Health Center Sidney · Sidney, MT CULTURE BACTERIAL BLOOD AEROBIC W/ID ISOLATES 87040 | $86.69 | $140.00 | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Big Sandy Medical Center Big Sandy · Big Sandy, MT Blood Culturesend Out | $91.00 | $114.00 | — source file |
| St. Patrick Hospital Missoula · Missoula, MT HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $117.60 | $147.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health - Chester Chester · Chester, MT Culture Blood Line | $120.09 | $184.75 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health - Conrad Conrad · Conrad, MT Culture Blood Routine Peripheral | $120.09 | $184.75 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health - Cut Bank Cut Bank · Cut Bank, MT Culture Blood Line | $120.09 | $184.75 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Logan Health - Shelby Shelby · Shelby, MT Culture Blood Line | $120.09 | $184.75 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Granite County Medical Center Philipsburg · Philipsburg, MT Bacterial blood culture | $135.90 | $151.00 | Sep 9, 2026 source file |
| Providence St Joseph Medical Center Polson · Polson, MT HC BLOOD CULTURE FOR BACTERIA | $140.80 | $176.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mineral Community Hospital East Superior · Missoula, MT Blood Culture | $151.46 | $189.33 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Barrett Hospital & Healthcare Dillon · Dillon, MT Bacterial blood culture | $152.00 | $160.00 | Jun 12, 2026 source file |
| Livingston HealthCare Livingston · Livingston, MT Bacterial blood culture | $163.40 | $172.00 | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Deaconess Regional Medical Center Bozeman · Bozeman, MT HC CULTURE BLOOD | $170.40 | $213.00 | Jan 16, 2026 source file |
| Community Hospital of Anaconda Anaconda · Anaconda, MT Bacterial blood culture | $172.13 | $229.50 | Nov 9, 2026 source file |
| Mountainview Medical Center White Sulphur Springs · White Sulphur Springs, MT BLOOD CULTURE | $183.22 | $229.03 | Jul 13, 2026 source file |
| Big Sky Medical Center Big Sky · Bozeman, MT HC CULTURE BLOOD | $204.80 | $256.00 | Jan 15, 2026 source file |
| Phillips County Hospital Assn Malta · Malta, MT CULTURE BLOOD (AER&ANA) SET 1so | $206.00 | $206.00 | Jun 16, 2026 source file |
| Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital Glasgow · Glasgow, MT Bacterial blood culture | $212.40 | $236.00 | Aug 27, 2026 source file |
| Stillwater Billings Clinic Columbus · Billings, MT Bacterial blood culture | $234.00 | $234.00 | Dec 19, 2025 source file |
| Roundup Memorial Healthcare Roundup · Roundup, MT Bacterial blood culture | $242.00 | $242.00 | Jul 30, 2026 source file |
| Daniels Memorial Hospital Scobey · Scobey, MT Bacterial blood culture | $251.00 | $251.00 | Sep 10, 2026 source file |
| Great Falls Clinic Hospital Great Falls · Great Falls, MT BACTERIAL BLOOD CULTURE | $358.00 | $358.00 | Feb 18, 2026 source file |
| Sheridan Memorial Hospital Plentywood · Plentywood, MT Bacterial blood culture | $406.80 | $452.00 | Oct 13, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | 2 | $170.40 | $187.60 |
| Helena, MT | 2 | $20.93 | $46.96 |
| Missoula, MT | 2 | $117.60 | $134.53 |
| Anaconda, MT | 1 | $172.13 | $172.13 |
| Big Sandy, MT | 1 | $91.00 | $91.00 |
| Billings, MT | 1 | $234.00 | $234.00 |
| Chester, MT | 1 | $120.09 | $120.09 |
| Conrad, MT | 1 | $120.09 | $120.09 |
| Cut Bank, MT | 1 | $120.09 | $120.09 |
| Dillon, MT | 1 | $152.00 | $152.00 |
| Glasgow, MT | 1 | $212.40 | $212.40 |
| Great Falls, MT | 1 | $358.00 | $358.00 |
| Livingston, MT | 1 | $163.40 | $163.40 |
| Malta, MT | 1 | $206.00 | $206.00 |
| Philipsburg, MT | 1 | $135.90 | $135.90 |
| Plentywood, MT | 1 | $406.80 | $406.80 |
| Polson, MT | 1 | $140.80 | $140.80 |
| Poplar, MT | 1 | $24.38 | $24.38 |
| Roundup, MT | 1 | $242.00 | $242.00 |
| Scobey, MT | 1 | $251.00 | $251.00 |
| Shelby, MT | 1 | $120.09 | $120.09 |
| Sidney, MT | 1 | $86.69 | $86.69 |
| White Sulphur Springs, MT | 1 | $183.22 | $183.22 |
| Wolf Point, MT | 1 | $24.38 | $24.38 |
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
- Colorado$209.10
- 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
- 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.