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PricedCare

Basic metabolic panel (blood test) in Houston, TX costs $3 to $562. Here's every hospital's price.

18 hospitals in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, 18 hospitals list a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). The lowest is $3 at University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, the median is $380 and the highest is $562 at Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 187 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Houston, TX median of $380 is 443% above the national median of $70 across 566 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

18 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $3 to $1,086. 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 March 2023 and April 2026. 42 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.

$3
lowest cash price in Houston, TX
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston · 48 mi
$377 below the median
$380
median cash price
18 hospitals
187×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
18/60
hospitals with a cash price
42 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston

Galveston · 48 mi · Older file Mar 2023

$3
list $3 · lowest of 4 lines
2
Harris Health

Houston · 7 mi · File Mar 2026

$8
list $249 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Legent North Houston Surgical Hospital

Bellaire · 10 mi · File Mar 2026

$24
list $47 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Shriners Hospitals for Children

Galveston · 48 mi · File Mar 2026

$63
list $63
5
St Luke's Patients Medical Center

Pasadena · 16 mi · File Feb 2026

$191
list $545 · lowest of 8 lines
6
Houston Methodist Hospital

Houston · 7 mi · File Apr 2026

$328
list $656 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Baylor St Lukes Medical Center

Houston · 7 mi · File Feb 2026

$380
list $1,086 · lowest of 4 lines
8
St Luke's the Woodlands Hospital

The Woodlands · 29 mi · File Feb 2026

$380
list $1,086 · lowest of 4 lines
9
St Luke's Sugar Land Hospital

Sugar Land · 22 mi · File Feb 2026

$380
list $1,086 · lowest of 4 lines
10
Chi St Lukes Lakeside Hospital

The Woodlands · 29 mi · File Feb 2026

$380
list $1,086 · lowest of 4 lines
11
St Luke's Hospital at the Vintage

Houston · 19 mi · File Feb 2026

$380
list $1,086 · lowest of 4 lines
12
Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital

Baytown · 22 mi · File Apr 2026

$562
list $1,124 · 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 Houston, 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