Lactate test cost in Philadelphia, PA

Prices at 14 hospitals in Philadelphia, PA, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $133 — 59% above the US median ($83), roughly 11.5× the Medicare rate.

Lowest cash prices

HospitalLocationCashInsurerCMS ratingER waitReadmit
Shriners Hospitals for Children-Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA $93 $12
St Christopher's Hospital for Children Philadelphia, PA $131 $28
Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA $134 $62 ★ 2/5 216 min 14.5%
Hospital of Univ of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA $292 $101 ★ 5/5 280 min 14.4%
Pennsylvania Hospital Philadelphia, PA $419 $92 ★ 4/5 272 min 15.8%
Philadelphia VA Medical Center Philadelphia, PA $423 $113 ★ 5/5 14.5%
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA $423 $113
Penn Presbyterian Medical Center Philadelphia, PA $453 $159 ★ 4/5 316 min 15.2%

CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated August 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.

Price comparison (median)

Chargemaster (list price)
$206
Cash / self-pay
$133
Insurer-negotiated
$23
Medicare pays
$12
$13$423
Median cash $133  ·  Medicare $12  ·  bar = typical cash range (10th–90th percentile)
Is this a fair price?
1× Medicarefair ≈2×5×+

Typical cash price here is $133 — about 11.5× the Medicare rate ($12). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($23).

💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $206 list price could save about $73 (36%).

Estimate what you’ll pay
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Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.

All Lactate test prices in Pennsylvania → · All Lactate test prices (national) · All hospitals in Philadelphia