What does code 87070 cost?

Across the published hospital price files, the disclosed cash price for 87070 ranges from $28.07 to $412. This is public hospital price transparency data, not a guaranteed estimate of your bill.

Will this be my final bill?

Actual patient responsibility may vary based on your insurance plan, deductible, coinsurance, network status, diagnosis, setting, bundled services, clinical circumstances, and hospital billing practices.

87070 is the billing code hospitals use to identify "Upper Respiratory Culture" on their published price files. We use it to line up the same service across different hospitals.

Why do prices for this code differ between hospitals?

Each hospital sets its own prices and negotiates separately with each insurer, so the disclosed price for the same code can vary widely from one hospital to another — and even between plans at a single hospital. Comparing the published figures is what this page is for; a difference does not by itself mean one hospital is better or worse.

What this page is not

It is not a quote, a guarantee, or medical advice. It shows what hospitals have published for this code, so you can compare and ask informed questions — your actual cost depends on your insurance, the exact services performed, and the care setting.

87070

CPT

Upper Respiratory Culture

Verified from hospital fileNot a bill estimate

iDirect answer

Based on the latest published hospital price files, code 87070 (Upper Respiratory Culture) appears at 32 hospitals with disclosed cash prices from $28.07 to $412. This is public hospital price transparency data, not a guaranteed estimate of your bill.

Published-price availability

hospitals publish a price

list this service without a published price

134

Cash

134

List

Negotiated

Allowed

A blank price (“—”) means a hospital names this service but did not publish a dollar amount — it is not a free service or a $0 price.

Compare 87070 prices

Filter by hospital, city, setting, or payer — the summary and charts update with your filters.

Based on hospital-published prices verified from each hospital’s own file. Coverage expands as data is verified.

Published cash prices for code 87070 vary by about 15× across the 31 hospitals with disclosed prices here — from $28.07 to $412. Shopping around can matter.

Hospitals

157

Prices shown

$28.07

Lowest cash

$412

Highest cash

code 87070 cash price134 disclosed · 31 hospitals

$28.07median ~$48.75$412

Lowest cash price by hospital

M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center$28.07
M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center$28.13
M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital$28.25
HealthEast St. John's Hospital$28.25
HealthEast Woodwinds Hospital$28.25
M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital$29.97

Cash price by city

Reflects your current filters.

Cash price by city$28.07 – $36.36

Princeton · 1 hospital$28.07–$28.74
Wyoming · 1 hospital$28.13–$29.97
Edina · 1 hospital$28.25–$36.36
Maplewood · 1 hospital$28.25–$36.36
Woodbury · 1 hospital$28.25–$36.36
Burnsville · 1 hospital$29.97–$31.76

157 prices shown.

Service	Hospital	Code	List price	Cash price	Negotiated range	Allowed (median)
Upper Respiratory Culture Inpatient	Carle Foundation Hospital	87070 CPT	$92.00	$92.00	$7.41 – $60.81	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL THROAT Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL GENITAL Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL ROUTINE Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL CSF Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL TISSUE BIOPSY Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL RESPIRATORY Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL BODY FLUID Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
HC CULTURE BACTERIAL CATHETER TIP Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	$340	$340	—	—
Culture othr specimn aerobic Outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87070 HCPCS	—	—	$8.62 – $18.96	—
Upper Respiratory Culture Inpatient	Methodist Medical Center of Illinois	87070 CPT	$92.00	$92.00	$7.41 – $60.81	—
Hc Culture, Aerobic Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Gall Bladder Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Biopsy Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Dialysis Fluid Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Ear Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, External Female Genital Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture Respiratory Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Eye Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Internal Female Genital Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Joint (Synovial) Fluid Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Male Intern Genital Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Breast Milk Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Pleural Fluid Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Culture, Spinal Fluid Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87070 HCPCS	—	—	—	—

How to read these prices

Cash price: The discounted self-pay price for paying directly, without insurance.
List price: The hospital’s full undiscounted charge — rarely what anyone pays.
Negotiated rate: A rate for a specific insurer and plan; your share depends on your benefits.
Allowed amount: A historical reference for what was actually allowed, where disclosed.

Hospitals that publish 87070 prices

Open a hospital to see this code in the context of its full published prices.

Carle Foundation Hospital Endeavor Health Edward Hospital Methodist Medical Center of Illinois University of Chicago Medical Center Carle BroMenn Medical Center Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Advocate Condell Medical Center Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Advocate South Suburban Hospital Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital Aurora BayCare Medical Center Aurora Medical Center Burlington Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center Covenant Medical Center Covenant Hospital Plainview Covenant Hospital Levelland Grace Surgical Hospital Covenant Specialty Hospital M Health Fairview Lakes Medical Center M Health Fairview Northland Medical Center M Health Fairview Ridges Hospital M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital HealthEast St. John's Hospital HealthEast Woodwinds Hospital Marion General Hospital O'Bleness Hospital Pickerington Methodist Hospital Riverside Methodist Hospital Shelby Hospital

Code 87070: frequently asked

What does code 87070 cost?: Across the published hospital price files, the disclosed cash price for 87070 ranges from $28.07 to $412. This is public hospital price transparency data, not a guaranteed estimate of your bill.
Will this be my final bill?: Actual patient responsibility may vary based on your insurance plan, deductible, coinsurance, network status, diagnosis, setting, bundled services, clinical circumstances, and hospital billing practices.
What is code 87070?: 87070 is the billing code hospitals use to identify "Upper Respiratory Culture" on their published price files. We use it to line up the same service across different hospitals.
Why do prices for this code differ between hospitals?: Each hospital sets its own prices and negotiates separately with each insurer, so the disclosed price for the same code can vary widely from one hospital to another — and even between plans at a single hospital. Comparing the published figures is what this page is for; a difference does not by itself mean one hospital is better or worse.
What this page is not: It is not a quote, a guarantee, or medical advice. It shows what hospitals have published for this code, so you can compare and ask informed questions — your actual cost depends on your insurance, the exact services performed, and the care setting.

All CPT / HCPCS codes Browse hospitals How to read this data

Hospitals publishing code 87070 by state

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