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PricedCare

Basic metabolic panel (blood test) in Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD costs $8 to $343. Here's every hospital's price.

19 hospitals in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, 19 hospitals list a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). The lowest is $8 at Lower Bucks Hospital, the median is $20 and the highest is $343 at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The most expensive hospital lists 43 times the cheapest for the same code.

The Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD median of $20 is 72% below the national median of $70 across 566 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

26 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $5 to $4,152. 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 September 2025 and September 2026. 25 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.

$8
lowest cash price in Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Lower Bucks Hospital · 28 mi
$12 below the median
$20
median cash price
19 hospitals
43×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
19/51
hospitals with a cash price
25 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Lower Bucks Hospital

Bristol · 28 mi · File Sep 2026

$8
list $613
2
Roxborough Memorial Hospital

Philadelphia · 11 mi · File Sep 2026

$8
list $240 · lowest of 3 lines
3
Jefferson Stratford Hospital

Stratford · 17 mi · File Mar 2026

$10
list $119 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Jefferson Lansdale Hospital

Lansdale · 25 mi · File Mar 2026

$10
list $33 · lowest of 2 lines
5
Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital

Philadelphia · 13 mi · File Dec 2025

$10
· lowest of 2 lines
6
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Philadelphia · 9 mi · File Mar 2026

$10
list $464 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Jefferson Abington Hospital

Abington · 18 mi · File Mar 2026

$10
list $60 · lowest of 2 lines
8
Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital

East Norriton · 18 mi · File Dec 2025

$10
· lowest of 2 lines
9
Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital

Camden · 12 mi · File Apr 2026

$20
list $197 · lowest of 2 lines
10
Virtua Mount Holly Hospital

Mount Holly · 28 mi · File Apr 2026

$20
list $197
11
Virtua Willingboro Hospital

Willingboro · 25 mi · File Apr 2026

$20
list $197
12
Holy Redeemer Hospital and Medical Center

Meadowbrook · 19 mi · File Sep 2025

$28
list $70 · 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 Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD 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