Bacterial culture (wound) cost in Kentucky
In Kentucky, 77 hospitals publish a cash price for bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid): from $12.50 to $298.20, with a median of $103.20. The lowest price is at Ohio County Hospital (Hartford). The highest price is 23.9× the lowest.
Outpatient cash prices, one line per hospital — its lowest listed price for code 87070. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Sep 29, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$12.50Ohio County Hospital
Median$103.20half pay less
Highest$298.20in Kentucky
Lowest saves$90.70vs the median
Hospitals in Kentucky, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio County Hospital lowest Hartford · Hartford, KY CULTURE SPUTUM | $12.50 | $25.00 | — source file |
| The Medical Center at Bowling Green Bowling Green · Bowling Green, KY CULTURE OTHR SPECIMN AEROBIC | $13.50 | $26.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Albany Albany · Albany, KY CULTURE OTHR SPECIMN AEROBIC | $15.60 | $26.00 | Jul 1, 2024 source file |
| The Medical Center at Caverna Horse Cave · Horse Cave, KY CULTURE OTHR SPECIMN AEROBIC | $15.60 | $26.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Russellville Russellville · Russellville, KY CULTURE OTHR SPECIMN AEROBIC | $15.60 | $26.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Scottsville Scottsville · Bowling Green, KY CULTURE OTHR SPECIMN AEROBIC | $15.60 | $26.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville Madisonville · Madisonville, KY HC CULTURE BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS REF | $16.30 | $125.38 | Feb 3, 2026 source file |
| Harlan Arh Hospital Harlan · Harlan, KY CULTURE GENITAL | $20.40 | $34.00 | — source file |
| Middlesboro Arh Hospital Middlesboro · Middlesborough, KY CULTURE GENITAL | $20.40 | $34.00 | — source file |
| Paintsville Arh Hospital Paintsville · Paintsville, KY CULTURE GENITAL | $20.40 | $34.00 | — source file |
| Cumberland County Hospital Burkesville · Burkesville, KY BODY FLUID CULTURE | $25.50 | $34.00 | — source file |
| St Elizabeth Edgewood Edgewood · Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HB CULTURE TIPS | $25.86 | $25.86 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Deaconess Union County Hospital Morganfield · Morganfield, KY HC CULTURE RESPIRATORY TRACT | $27.26 | $58.00 | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Casey County Hospital Liberty · Liberty, KY CULTURE, GENITAL | $44.00 | $55.00 | — source file |
| Wayne County Hospital Monticello · Monticello, KY THROAT CULTURE | $48.52 | $74.65 | — source file |
| Jennie Stuart Medical Center Hopkinsville · Clarksville, TN-KY HC CULTURE BORDETELLA PERTUSSIS REF | $49.93 | $161.04 | Feb 12, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph Mount Sterling Mt. Sterling · Mount Sterling, KY HC LAB CULTURE UPPER RESPIRATORY | $58.28 | $159.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| CHI Saint Joseph Berea Nf Berea · Richmond-Berea, KY HC LAB CULT-BACT OTH SOURCE | $58.33 | $121.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph London London · Corbin, KY HC LAB CULTURE UPPER RESPIRATORY | $59.60 | $167.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Saint Joseph East Lexington · Lexington-Fayette, KY HC LAB CULT-BACT OTH SOURCE | $65.08 | $162.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital Irvine · Richmond-Berea, KY HC So Body Fluid Culture | $66.60 | $111.00 | — source file |
| CHI Saint Joseph Flaget Memorial Hospital Bardstown · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HC LAB CULTURE UPPER RESPIRATORY | $67.47 | $159.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Carroll County Memorial Hospital Carrollton · Carrollton, KY CULTURE UPPER RESPIRATORY-LABCORP | $70.80 | $118.00 | — source file |
| UofL Health -Shelbyville Shelbyville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER 1 | $76.00 | $200.00 | — source file |
| Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington · Lexington-Fayette, KY HC LAB CULT-BACT OTH SOURCE | $76.32 | $162.00 | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| T J Samson Community Hospital Glasgow · Glasgow, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $81.90 | $126.00 | Apr 23, 2026 source file |
| Tj Health Columbia Columbia · Columbia, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $81.90 | $126.00 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Clark Regional Medical Center Winchester · Lexington-Fayette, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $82.59 | $206.48 | — source file |
| Livingston Hospital and Healthcare Services Salem · Paducah, KY-IL Genital Culture, Routine LC | $82.80 | $138.00 | — source file |
| University of Kentucky Hospital Lexington · Lexington-Fayette, KY Hc Bone Marrow Culture And Gram Stain | $84.34 | $210.85 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Monroe County Medical Center Tompkinsville · Tompkinsville, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $84.41 | $101.70 | Aug 14, 2026 source file |
| Fleming County Hospital Flemingsburg · Flemingsburg, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $85.04 | $212.60 | — source file |
| Jackson Purchase Medical Center Mayfield · Mayfield, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $90.04 | $225.10 | — source file |
| Saints Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER 1 | $90.36 | $251.00 | — source file |
| Harrison Memorial Hospital Cynthiana · Cynthiana, KY CULTURE OTHR SPECIMN AEROBIC | $93.45 | $133.50 | — source file |
| UofL Health - Jewish Hospital and Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER 1 | $101.25 | $225.00 | — source file |
| Pineville Community Health Center Pineville · Middlesborough, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $101.64 | $101.64 | Jan 24, 2026 source file |
| UofL Health-Louisville – South Hospital Shepherdville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER 1 | $101.70 | $226.00 | — source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital Louisville · Louisville, KY HB CULTURE AEROBIC | $103.20 | $516.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Brownsboro Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB CULTURE AEROBIC - EYE W/GS | $103.20 | $516.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Children's Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB CULTURE CSF | $103.20 | $516.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB CULTURE AEROBIC - EYE W/GS | $103.20 | $516.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton West Louisville Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB CULTURE AEROBIC - EAR W/GS | $103.20 | $516.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB CULTURE/SCREEN, GC | $103.20 | $516.00 | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| King's Daughters' Medical Center Ashland · Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HCHG CULTURE, LEGIONELLA | $105.12 | $262.78 | Oct 14, 2025 source file |
| Rockcastle County Hospital Mount Vernon · Richmond-Berea, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $106.40 | $140.00 | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Corbin Corbin · Corbin, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Hardin Elizabethtown · Elizabethtown, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health LaGrange La Grange · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Lexington Lexington · Lexington-Fayette, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 17, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Louisville Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Paducah Paducah · Paducah, KY-IL Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Richmond Richmond · Richmond-Berea, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $107.18 | $142.90 | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
| Bluegrass Community Hospital Versailles · Lexington-Fayette, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $108.48 | $271.21 | — source file |
| Tristar Greenview Regional Hospital Bowling Green · Bowling Green, KY CULT ENVIRON EPIDEMI | $121.53 | $121.53 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Tug Valley Appalachian Regional Healthcare Regional Medical Center South Williamson · Pikeville, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $124.20 | $207.00 | — source file |
| Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital Paducah · Paducah, KY-IL HC Culture, Aerobic | $133.20 | $222.00 | — source file |
| Kentucky River Medical Center Jackson · Jackson, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $133.56 | $222.60 | Sep 17, 2026 source file |
| Knox County Hospital Barbourville · Corbin, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $135.00 | $225.00 | — source file |
| Breckinridge Memorial Hospital Hardinsburg · Hardinsburg, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $141.50 | $283.00 | Jul 16, 2026 source file |
| University of Louisville Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN CULTURE BACTERIA OTHER 1 | $144.96 | $604.00 | — source file |
| St Claire Medical Center Morehead · Morehead, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $153.00 | $204.00 | Jun 18, 2026 source file |
| Whitesburg Arh Hospital Whitesburg · Whitesburg, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $153.60 | $256.00 | — source file |
| Murray-Calloway County Public Hospital Murray · Murray, KY Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $158.60 | $244.00 | Sep 9, 2026 source file |
| Frankfort Regional Medical Center Frankfort · Frankfort, KY CULT NASOPHARYNGEAL | $159.75 | $159.75 | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Highlands Arh Regional Medical Center Prestonsburg · Pikeville, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $160.20 | $267.00 | — source file |
| Arh Our Lady of the Way Martin · Pikeville, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $163.80 | $273.00 | — source file |
| McDowell Arh Hospital MC Dowell · Pikeville, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $163.80 | $273.00 | — source file |
| Morgan County Arh Hospital West Liberty · West Liberty, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $163.80 | $273.00 | — source file |
| Hazard Appalachian Regional Healthcare Regional Medical Center Hazard · Hazard, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $169.20 | $282.00 | — source file |
| Spring View Hospital Lebanon · Lebanon, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $172.82 | $432.04 | — source file |
| Georgetown Community Hospital Georgetown · Lexington-Fayette, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $177.53 | $443.82 | — source file |
| Meadowview Regional Medical Center Maysville · Maysville, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $177.63 | $444.07 | — source file |
| Mary Breckinridge Arh Hospital Hayden · Hayden, KY CULTURE OTH SPECIMEN AEROBIC | $186.60 | $311.00 | — source file |
| AdventHealth Manchester Manchester · Corbin, KY HC EAR CULTURE | $208.38 | $208.38 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bourbon Community Hospital Paris · Lexington-Fayette, KY Culture, bacterial; any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic, with isolation and presumptive identification of isolates | $236.45 | $591.13 | — source file |
| Three Rivers Medical Center Louisa · Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Bacterial culture, any other source except urine, blood or stool, aerobic | $298.20 | $497.00 | Sep 17, 2026 source file |
By metro area
Each metro page compares every listing, including prices for both sides of the body.
| Metro area | Hospitals | Lowest | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 13 | $67.47 | $103.20 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 8 | $65.08 | $95.76 |
| Corbin, KY | 4 | $59.60 | $121.09 |
| Pikeville, KY | 4 | $124.20 | $162.00 |
| Richmond-Berea, KY | 4 | $58.33 | $86.50 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 3 | $13.50 | $15.60 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | 3 | $82.80 | $107.18 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 2 | $105.12 | $201.66 |
| Middlesborough, KY | 2 | $20.40 | $61.02 |
| Albany, KY | 1 | $15.60 | $15.60 |
| Burkesville, KY | 1 | $25.50 | $25.50 |
| Carrollton, KY | 1 | $70.80 | $70.80 |
| Columbia, KY | 1 | $81.90 | $81.90 |
| Cynthiana, KY | 1 | $93.45 | $93.45 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1 | $25.86 | $25.86 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 1 | $49.93 | $49.93 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 1 | $107.18 | $107.18 |
| Flemingsburg, KY | 1 | $85.04 | $85.04 |
| Frankfort, KY | 1 | $159.75 | $159.75 |
| Glasgow, KY | 1 | $81.90 | $81.90 |
| Hardinsburg, KY | 1 | $141.50 | $141.50 |
| Harlan, KY | 1 | $20.40 | $20.40 |
| Hartford, KY | 1 | $12.50 | $12.50 |
| Hayden, KY | 1 | $186.60 | $186.60 |
| Hazard, KY | 1 | $169.20 | $169.20 |
| Horse Cave, KY | 1 | $15.60 | $15.60 |
| Jackson, KY | 1 | $133.56 | $133.56 |
| Lebanon, KY | 1 | $172.82 | $172.82 |
| Liberty, KY | 1 | $44.00 | $44.00 |
| Louisville, KY | 1 | $103.20 | $103.20 |
| Maysville, KY | 1 | $177.63 | $177.63 |
| Monticello, KY | 1 | $48.52 | $48.52 |
| Morehead, KY | 1 | $153.00 | $153.00 |
| Morganfield, KY | 1 | $27.26 | $27.26 |
| Madisonville, KY | 1 | $16.30 | $16.30 |
| Mayfield, KY | 1 | $90.04 | $90.04 |
| Mount Sterling, KY | 1 | $58.28 | $58.28 |
| Murray, KY | 1 | $158.60 | $158.60 |
| Paintsville, KY | 1 | $20.40 | $20.40 |
| Russellville, KY | 1 | $15.60 | $15.60 |
| Tompkinsville, KY | 1 | $84.41 | $84.41 |
| West Liberty, KY | 1 | $163.80 | $163.80 |
| Whitesburg, KY | 1 | $153.60 | $153.60 |
What it is
A bacterial culture grows bacteria from a sample such as a wound, throat swab, eye or fluid to find which germ causes an infection. It takes one to three days.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test; collecting the sample may be billed separately.
Bacterial culture of a sample other than urine, blood or stool (wound, throat, fluid) in other states
- Alabama$76.99
- Alaska$144.65
- Arizona$67.60
- Arkansas$38.48
- California$133.00
- Colorado$99.60
- Connecticut$48.32
- Delaware$199.38
- District of Columbia$89.70
- Florida$86.20
- Georgia$82.46
- Hawaii$80.40
- Idaho$58.88
- Illinois$90.00
- Indiana$93.42
- Iowa$60.23
- Kansas$59.19
- Louisiana$28.15
- Maine$61.51
- Maryland$112.37
- Massachusetts$40.00
- Michigan$53.00
- Minnesota$68.69
- Mississippi$53.04
- Missouri$68.30
- Montana$65.00
- Nebraska$77.42
- Nevada$112.00
- New Hampshire$92.10
- New Jersey$29.16
- New Mexico$84.78
- New York$39.59
- North Carolina$77.74
- North Dakota$64.80
- Ohio$68.50
- Oklahoma$44.13
- Oregon$52.38
- Pennsylvania$61.20
- Puerto Rico$30.00
- Rhode Island$68.80
- South Carolina$123.54
- South Dakota$89.18
- Tennessee$40.20
- Texas$69.48
- Utah$102.73
- Vermont$84.27
- Virginia$68.95
- Washington$88.20
- West Virginia$50.50
- Wisconsin$77.35
- Wyoming$73.60
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.