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PricedCare

Basic metabolic panel (blood test) in St. Louis, MO-IL costs $7 to $279. Here's every hospital's price.

18 hospitals in the St. Louis, MO-IL 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 St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, 18 hospitals list a cash price for basic metabolic panel (blood test) (CPT 80048). The lowest is $7 at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, the median is $104 and the highest is $279 at Hshs St Elizabeth's Hospital. The most expensive hospital lists 39 times the cheapest for the same code.

The St. Louis, MO-IL median of $104 is 49% above the national median of $70 across 566 US hospitals with a cash price for this code.

17 of these hospitals also publish the rates they negotiated with insurers, from $4 to $388. 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 2026 and June 2026. 18 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.

$7
lowest cash price in St. Louis, MO-IL
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital · 4 mi
$97 below the median
$104
median cash price
18 hospitals
39×
highest ÷ lowest
same procedure, same metro
18/36
hospitals with a cash price
18 don't · see who

Sorted by cash price

Hospital facility fee only
1
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital

Maryland Heights · 4 mi · File Apr 2026

$7
list $9 · lowest of 2 lines
2
Mercy Hospital South

Saint Louis · 16 mi · File Mar 2026

$29
list $29 · lowest of 2 lines
3
Ssm St Joseph Hospital West

Lake Saint Louis · 24 mi · File Apr 2026

$52
list $95 · lowest of 2 lines
4
Shriners Hospitals for Children

Saint Louis · 9 mi · File Mar 2026

$67
list $67
5
Ssm St Joseph Health Center

Saint Charles · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

$79
list $143 · lowest of 2 lines
6
Ssm St Clare Health Center

Fenton · 16 mi · File Apr 2026

$79
list $143 · lowest of 2 lines
7
Ssm Health St Mary's Hospital - St Louis

Saint Louis · 8 mi · File Apr 2026

$79
list $143 · lowest of 2 lines
8
Ssm Health Depaul Hospital St Louis

Bridgeton · 5 mi · File Apr 2026

$79
list $143 · lowest of 2 lines
9
Touchette Regional Hospital INC

Centreville · 17 mi · File Apr 2026

$104
list $168
10
Mercy Hospital Washington

Washington · 38 mi · File Jun 2026

$118
list $182
11
Mercy Hospital Jefferson

Crystal City · 38 mi · File Jun 2026

$124
list $191
12
Ssm Health Saint Louis University Hospital

Saint Louis · 10 mi · File Apr 2026

$127
list $230
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 St. Louis, MO-IL 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