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PricedCare

Basic metabolic panel (blood test) in Austin, TX costs $12 to $284. Here's every hospital's price.

13 hospitals in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area publish a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). We read their files every month so you don't have to.

Across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, 13 hospitals list a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). The lowest is $12 at Northwest Hills Surgical Hospital, the median is $156 and the highest is $284 at Ascension Seton Edgar B Davis. The most expensive hospital lists 24 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Austin, TX median of $156 is 124% above the national median of $70 across 566 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

14 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $7 to $355. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which is sometimes higher than the cash price; you may ask for the cash price instead.

The files behind these prices are dated between January 2026 and June 2026. 10 other hospitals in the metro area have no readable price for this code: some publish no file, some block automated reading, some leave the code out. They are listed below so you can call them.

$12
lowest cash price in Austin, TX
Northwest Hills Surgical Hospital · 9 mi
$145 below the median
$156
median cash price
13 hospitals
24×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
13/24
hospitals with a cash price
10 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Northwest Hills Surgical Hospital

Austin · 9 mi · File Jan 2026

$12
list $33 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Ascension Seton Smithville

Smithville · 35 mi · File Jan 2026

$155
list $430 · lowest of 4 lines
3
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center -Taylor

Taylor · 28 mi · File Jun 2026

$156
list $261 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Round Rock

Round Rock · 22 mi · File Jun 2026

$156
list $261 · lowest of 14 lines
5
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center Pflugerville

Pflugerville · 14 mi · File Jun 2026

$156
list $261 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Buda

Buda · 16 mi · File Jun 2026

$156
list $261 · lowest of 14 lines
7
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center- Austin

Austin · 11 mi · File Jun 2026

$156
list $261 · lowest of 22 lines
8
Ascension Seton Cedar Park

Cedar Park · 22 mi · File Jan 2026

$161
list $447 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Ascension Seton Hays

Kyle · 21 mi · File Jan 2026

$228
list $635 · lowest of 4 lines
10
Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin

Austin · 7 mi · File Jan 2026

$238
list $660 · lowest of 2 lines
11
Ascension Seton Southwest

Austin · 14 mi · File Jan 2026

$238
list $660 · lowest of 2 lines
12
Ascension Seton Northwest

Austin · 12 mi · File Jan 2026

$238
list $660 · lowest of 2 lines
1

What's in the price

The hospital facility fee for CPT 80048. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.

2

Cash vs. insured

Cash is what you pay without insurance. With insurance you pay a share of the negotiated rate, which can be higher than cash. You may ask for the cash price.

3

What to say on the phone

"I'd like the self-pay price for CPT 80048, in writing, and whether it covers facility, physician and anesthesia."

About basic metabolic panel (blood test)

CPT 80048 is a basic metabolic panel: eight blood tests in one draw covering blood sugar, kidney function (creatinine, urea), sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate and calcium. It is one of the most commonly ordered lab tests, done at check-ups, before surgery and when monitoring medications.

What the price covers

The price is for the laboratory analysis of one blood sample. It does not include the blood draw (36415, usually a small separate charge), the visit that ordered it, or any other tests run from the same sample.

Why prices vary

Lab tests are where hospital pricing looks most absurd: the same automated panel, which costs a laboratory a few dollars to run, lists at $10 in one hospital and $500 in another. Independent laboratories and direct-to-consumer lab services are almost always cheaper than hospital labs for routine panels. If a hospital's cash price is high, ask whether the sample can go to an outside lab.

Questions to ask

  • What is the self-pay price for 80048, and is the blood draw extra?
  • Can the sample be sent to an independent laboratory instead?
  • If my doctor ordered a comprehensive panel (80053), is the basic one enough?

Hospitals in Austin, TX without a price for this procedure

Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.

Questions people ask