Pap smear (lab reading) cost in Kentucky
In Kentucky, 38 hospitals publish a cash price for Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening: from $12.81 to $132.60, with a median of $60.60. The lowest price is at University of Kentucky Hospital (Lexington). The highest price is 10.4× the lowest.
- The median here, $60.60, is 15% below the US median of $70.94.
- That is 3.0× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($20.26).
- Kentucky ranks 12th of 50 states by median, cheapest first.
- 1 of 38 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 88142. Prices for both sides of the body and inpatient prices are not mixed in. Collected Nov 11, 2026. See them on a map
Lowest$12.81University of Kentucky Hospital
Median$60.60half of hospitals charge less
Highest$132.60in Kentucky
Lowest saves$47.79vs the median
Hospitals in Kentucky, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | File date |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky Hospital lowest Lexington · Lexington-Fayette, KY Hc Cytopath C/V Thin Layer - Lab Cytopath Cerv/Vag Thin Layer | $12.81 | $32.03 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Norton Audubon Hospital Louisville · Louisville, KY HB GYN THIN PREP | $17.80 | $89.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Brownsboro Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB GYN THIN PREP | $17.80 | $89.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Children's Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB GYN THIN PREP | $17.80 | $89.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB GYN THIN PREP | $17.80 | $89.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton West Louisville Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB GYN THIN PREP | $17.80 | $89.00 | Feb 11, 2026 source file |
| Norton Women's and Kosair Children's Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN HB GYN THIN PREP | $17.80 | $89.00 | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Ohio County Hospital Hartford · Hartford, KY BIOPSY 88142 | $37.00 | $74.00 | Jan 12, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital Paducah · Paducah, KY-IL HC Cytp Cerv/Vag Auto Thin Layer Prep Mnl Screen | $39.60 | $66.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| University of Louisville Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN PAP SMEAR THINPREP | $43.20 | $180.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Corbin Corbin · Corbin, KY Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 25, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Hardin Elizabethtown · Elizabethtown, KY Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 25, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health LaGrange La Grange · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 25, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Lexington Lexington · Lexington-Fayette, KY Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Louisville Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 25, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Paducah Paducah · Paducah, KY-IL Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Richmond Richmond · Richmond-Berea, KY Pap test, manual screening | $52.47 | $69.96 | Sep 28, 2026 source file |
| Jackson Purchase Medical Center Mayfield · Mayfield, KY Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision | $59.59 | $148.98 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Albany Albany · Albany, KY CYTO,CERVICAL OR VAGINAL | $60.60 | $101.00 | Jul 1, 2024 source file |
| The Medical Center at Bowling Green Bowling Green · Bowling Green, KY CYTO,CERVICAL OR VAGINAL | $60.60 | $101.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Caverna Horse Cave · Horse Cave, KY CYTOLOGY, PAP/HPV | $60.60 | $101.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Russellville Russellville · Russellville, KY CYTO,CERVICAL OR VAGINAL | $60.60 | $101.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Medical Center at Scottsville Scottsville · Bowling Green, KY CYTO,CERVICAL OR VAGINAL | $60.60 | $101.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Elizabeth Edgewood Edgewood · Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HB LIQUID BASED PAP, MANUAL SCREEN UNDER PHYSICIAN SUPER | $60.78 | $60.78 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saints Mary & Elizabeth Hospital Louisville · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN PAP SMEAR THINPREP | $64.80 | $180.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| King's Daughters' Medical Center Ashland · Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HCHG THIN PREP PAP | $70.98 | $177.43 | Sep 25, 2026 source file |
| Deaconess Union County Hospital Morganfield · Morganfield, KY HC PAP SMEAR THIN PREP | $86.95 | $185.00 | Feb 13, 2026 source file |
| Fleming County Hospital Flemingsburg · Flemingsburg, KY Cytopathology, cervical or vaginal (any reporting system), collected in preservative fluid, automated thin layer preparation; manual screening under physician supervision | $87.02 | $217.55 | Jul 10, 2026 source file |
| St Claire Medical Center Morehead · Morehead, KY Pap test, manual screening | $90.75 | $121.00 | Jun 18, 2026 source file |
| Knox County Hospital Barbourville · Corbin, KY PAP SMEAR THIN LAYER | $91.20 | $152.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Monroe County Medical Center Tompkinsville · Tompkinsville, KY Pap test, manual screening | $92.59 | $111.55 | Oct 8, 2026 source file |
| Marcum and Wallace Memorial Hospital Irvine · Richmond-Berea, KY HC Cytp Cerv/Vag Auto Thin Layer Prep Mnl Screen | $93.60 | $156.00 | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Tug Valley Appalachian Regional Healthcare Regional Medical Center South Williamson · Pikeville, KY PAP SMEAR THIN LAYER | $108.60 | $181.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Three Rivers Medical Center Louisa · Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Pap test, manual screening | $109.86 | $183.10 | Sep 17, 2026 source file |
| Harlan Arh Hospital Harlan · Harlan, KY PAP SMEAR THIN LAYER | $112.80 | $188.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Highlands Arh Regional Medical Center Prestonsburg · Pikeville, KY PAP SMEAR THIN LAYER | $112.80 | $188.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Hazard Appalachian Regional Healthcare Regional Medical Center Hazard · Hazard, KY PAP SMEAR THIN LAYER | $118.20 | $197.00 | Jan 1, 2026 source file |
| Mary Breckinridge Arh Hospital Hayden · Hayden, KY PAP SMEAR THIN LAYER | $132.60 | $221.00 | Jan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 9 | $17.80 | $17.80 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 2 | $60.60 | $60.60 |
| Corbin, KY | 2 | $52.47 | $71.84 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 2 | $70.98 | $90.42 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 2 | $12.81 | $32.64 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | 2 | $39.60 | $46.04 |
| Pikeville, KY | 2 | $108.60 | $110.70 |
| Richmond-Berea, KY | 2 | $52.47 | $73.04 |
| Albany, KY | 1 | $60.60 | $60.60 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1 | $60.78 | $60.78 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 1 | $52.47 | $52.47 |
| Flemingsburg, KY | 1 | $87.02 | $87.02 |
| Harlan, KY | 1 | $112.80 | $112.80 |
| Hartford, KY | 1 | $37.00 | $37.00 |
| Hayden, KY | 1 | $132.60 | $132.60 |
| Hazard, KY | 1 | $118.20 | $118.20 |
| Horse Cave, KY | 1 | $60.60 | $60.60 |
| Louisville, KY | 1 | $17.80 | $17.80 |
| Morehead, KY | 1 | $90.75 | $90.75 |
| Morganfield, KY | 1 | $86.95 | $86.95 |
| Mayfield, KY | 1 | $59.59 | $59.59 |
| Russellville, KY | 1 | $60.60 | $60.60 |
| Tompkinsville, KY | 1 | $92.59 | $92.59 |
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 Pap smear (lab reading) is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Pap smear (lab reading) explained.
Pap test lab reading: liquid-based cervical sample, manual screening in other states
- Alabama$40.99
- Alaska$106.47
- Arizona$26.87
- Arkansas$48.50
- California$91.00
- Colorado$152.85
- Connecticut$100.10
- Delaware$124.10
- District of Columbia$156.53, 3 hospitals
- Florida$51.60
- Georgia$51.00
- Hawaii$78.75
- Idaho$90.25
- Illinois$112.50
- Indiana$69.76
- Iowa$64.70
- Kansas$87.35
- Louisiana$29.76
- Maine$74.40
- Maryland$107.79
- Massachusetts$91.93
- Michigan$77.79
- Minnesota$77.45
- Mississippi$30.38
- Missouri$73.08
- Montana$62.18
- Nebraska$65.33
- Nevada$21.25
- New Hampshire$107.33
- New Jersey$23.30
- New Mexico$74.35
- New York$70.20
- North Carolina$61.25
- North Dakota$102.80
- Ohio$91.00
- Oklahoma$70.20
- Oregon$80.00
- Pennsylvania$61.20
- Puerto Rico$595.00, 1 hospital
- Rhode Island$120.00
- South Carolina$120.75
- South Dakota$69.60
- Tennessee$35.40
- Texas$87.01
- Utah$134.15
- Vermont$134.00
- Virginia$67.78
- Washington$83.20
- West Virginia$50.00
- Wisconsin$90.00
- Wyoming$70.09
Median cash price across the state's hospitals.