Urine culture/colony count
About the analyst
Elena Vasquez leads hospital billing pattern analysis at BillRazor Research. She focuses on identifying overcharges, markup outliers, and patient advocacy strategies. Expertise: hospital billing patterns, overcharge analysis, patient advocacy.
Understanding Urine culture/colony count costs
Urine culture/colony count (CPT code 87086) is a medical procedure . and $8 in a non-facility (office) setting. Hospital chargemaster prices for this procedure are typically 2x to 5x above Medicare rates.
The actual amount you owe depends on your insurance plan, deductible status, and whether the provider is in-network. Uninsured patients should ask about the hospital's financial assistance policy — nonprofit hospitals are required to offer charity care under Section 501(r) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Common billing errors for Urine culture/colony count
Billing errors for Urine culture/colony count include: upcoding to a higher-complexity code, unbundling components that should be included in a single charge, duplicate charges for the same service, charging facility fees when the procedure was performed in an office setting, and billing for services not actually rendered. If you see CPT 87086 on your bill alongside related codes, verify they are not already bundled per NCCI (National Correct Coding Initiative) edits.
What to check on your bill
Request an itemized bill and verify: (1) the CPT/HCPCS code matches the procedure actually performed, (2) the date of service is correct, (3) no duplicate line items exist for the same procedure, (4) modifier codes are appropriate (e.g., bilateral, reduced services), (5) the charge is not dramatically higher than the Medicare rate of the benchmark, and (6) any ancillary charges (anesthesia, pathology, supplies) are reasonable and not already bundled into the primary procedure code.
Non-facility rate
$8
Office setting benchmark
Data sources
3
22 data points
What this procedure costs across different settings
The same procedure can cost very different amounts depending on where it's performed. These are the Medicare-allowed amounts — what hospitals actually charge can be 3-10x higher.
| Setting | Medicare rate | vs lowest |
|---|---|---|
| Non-facility (office) | $8 | Lowest |
| Clinical lab limit | $8 | Lowest |
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About this data
Rates shown are from the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS), Ambulatory Surgery Center Payment System, Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, Durable Medical Equipment Fee Schedule, and CMS Inpatient Prospective Payment System (DRG weights). Regional adjustments use CMS Geographic Practice Cost Indices (GPCI). Hospital charges are from CMS Hospital Price Transparency machine-readable files. All data is publicly available under federal law (45 CFR Part 180).
This data is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or financial advice. Actual costs depend on insurance coverage, negotiated rates, and individual circumstances.
FAQ — Pathology/Lab billing
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Data: Federal physician fee schedules, hospital payment data, surgery center rates, lab fee schedules, and drug pricing data. FY 2024. All publicly available from federal sources.
Methodology: Facility rate applies when the procedure is performed in a hospital or ASC. Non-facility rate applies in a physician office. GPCI adjustments reflect regional cost-of-living differences.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not medical, financial, or legal advice. Actual costs depend on your insurance and provider. We recommend verifying costs directly with your provider. Full methodology · Terms of use