Basic metabolic panel (blood test) in Milwaukee, WI costs $15 to $118. Here's every hospital's price.
10 hospitals in the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, 10 hospitals list a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). The lowest is $15 at Aurora Medical Ctr Washington County, the median is $51 and the highest is $118 at Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin. The most expensive hospital lists 7.9 times the cheapest for the same code.
The Milwaukee, WI median of $51 is 27% below the national median of $70 across 566 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.
10 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $7 to $202. 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 November 2025 and March 2026. 8 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.
Sorted by cash price
Hospital facility fee onlyHartford · 38 mi · File Nov 2025
Milwaukee · 7 mi · File Nov 2025
Summit · 32 mi · File Nov 2025
Grafton · 29 mi · File Nov 2025
Milwaukee · 6 mi · File Jan 2026
Milwaukee · 13 mi · File Jan 2026
Franklin · 6 mi · File Jan 2026
Milwaukee · 10 mi · File Jan 2026
Milwaukee · 12 mi · File Mar 2026
Glendale · 13 mi · File Jan 2026
What's in the price
The hospital facility fee for CPT 80048. The doctor, anesthesia and lab work usually bill separately.
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.
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 Milwaukee, WI without a price for this procedure
Listed so you know who to call. The reason is what we found on their website.
- Ascension Wisconsin Hosp Menomonee Falls CampusFile found, not read yet
- Community Memorial HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- Froedtert Community HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- Froedtert Memorial Lutheran HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- Oconomowoc Memorial HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- St Josephs Community Hospital West BendWebsite blocks automated reading
- Waukesha Memorial HospitalWebsite blocks automated reading
- West Allis Memorial HospitalFile found, not read yet