What does code 87205 cost?

Across the published hospital price files, the disclosed cash price for 87205 ranges from $9.35 to $179. This is public hospital price transparency data, not a guaranteed estimate of your bill.

Will this be my final bill?

Actual patient responsibility may vary based on your insurance plan, deductible, coinsurance, network status, diagnosis, setting, bundled services, clinical circumstances, and hospital billing practices.

87205 is the billing code hospitals use to identify "HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE GRAM STAIN" on their published price files. We use it to line up the same service across different hospitals.

Why do prices for this code differ between hospitals?

Each hospital sets its own prices and negotiates separately with each insurer, so the disclosed price for the same code can vary widely from one hospital to another — and even between plans at a single hospital. Comparing the published figures is what this page is for; a difference does not by itself mean one hospital is better or worse.

What this page is not

It is not a quote, a guarantee, or medical advice. It shows what hospitals have published for this code, so you can compare and ask informed questions — your actual cost depends on your insurance, the exact services performed, and the care setting.

87205

HCPCS

HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE GRAM STAIN

Verified from hospital fileNot a bill estimate

iDirect answer

Based on the latest published hospital price files, code 87205 (HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE GRAM STAIN) appears at 48 hospitals with disclosed cash prices from $9.35 to $179. This is public hospital price transparency data, not a guaranteed estimate of your bill.

Published-price availability

hospitals publish a price

list this service without a published price

107

Cash

107

List

Negotiated

Allowed

A blank price (“—”) means a hospital names this service but did not publish a dollar amount — it is not a free service or a $0 price.

Compare 87205 prices

Filter by hospital, city, setting, or payer — the summary and charts update with your filters.

Based on hospital-published prices verified from each hospital’s own file. Coverage expands as data is verified.

Published cash prices for code 87205 vary by about 19× across the 47 hospitals with disclosed prices here — from $9.35 to $179. Shopping around can matter.

Hospitals

111

Prices shown

$9.35

Lowest cash

$179

Highest cash

code 87205 cash price107 disclosed · 47 hospitals

$9.35median ~$51.51$179

Lowest cash price by hospital

Cash price by city

Reflects your current filters.

Cash price by city$9.35 – $106

Mequon · 1 hospital$9.35–$65.45
New Berlin · 1 hospital$9.35–$65.45
Oak Creek · 1 hospital$9.35–$65.45
Menomonee Falls · 1 hospital$11.00
West Bend · 1 hospital$11.00–$77.00
Manitowoc · 1 hospital$11.00–$106

111 prices shown.

Service	Hospital	Code	List price	Cash price	Negotiated range	Allowed (median)
HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE GRAM STAIN Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$89.00	$89.00	—	—
HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE MYCOLOGY ONLY Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$56.00	$56.00	—	—
HC FUNGUS SMEAR Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$56.00	$56.00	—	—
HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$56.00	$56.00	—	—
Smear gram stain Outpatient	Endeavor Health Edward Hospital	87205 HCPCS	—	—	$4.27 – $9.39	—
Hc Quantitative Rapid Smear Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87205 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Hc Smear, Gram Stain Inpatient & outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87205 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
Smear gram stain Outpatient	University of Chicago Medical Center	87205 HCPCS	—	—	—	—
GRAM SMEAR EOS Outpatient	Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center	87205 CPT	$90.00	$45.00	$4.27 – $73.26	—
GRAM SMEAR Outpatient	Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center	87205 CPT	$75.00	$37.50	$4.27 – $61.05	—
HB SPUTUM SCREEN STAIN* Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$83.00	$83.00	—	—
HB BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS EXAM* Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$83.00	$83.00	—	—
HB GRAM STAIN* Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$83.00	$83.00	—	—
HB SMEAR WBCS* Inpatient & outpatient	Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital	87205 HCPCS	$83.00	$83.00	—	—
GRAM SMEAR Inpatient	Advocate Lutheran General Hospital	87205 CPT	$75.00	$37.50	$32.78 – $60.00	—
GRAM SMEAR Outpatient	Advocate Condell Medical Center	87205 CPT	$75.00	$37.50	$4.27 – $60.00	—
GRAM SMEAR EOS Outpatient	Advocate Condell Medical Center	87205 CPT	$90.00	$45.00	$4.27 – $72.00	—
GRAM SMEAR EOS Outpatient	Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital	87205 CPT	$90.00	$45.00	$4.27 – $72.00	—
GRAM SMEAR Outpatient	Advocate South Suburban Hospital	87205 CPT	$75.00	$37.50	$4.27 – $73.05	—
GRAM SMEAR EOS Outpatient	Advocate South Suburban Hospital	87205 CPT	$90.00	$45.00	$4.27 – $87.66	—
HC SMEAR PRIM SRCE INTERP GM STAIN URIN EOSINOPHIL Outpatient	Froedtert Hospital	87205 CPT	$144	$79.20	$4.15 – $125	—
HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE INTERP GRAM STAIN Outpatient	Froedtert Hospital	87205 CPT	$21.00	$11.55	$4.15 – $21.35	—
HC SMEAR PRIM SRCE INTERP GM STAIN FLD EOSINOPHIL Outpatient	Froedtert Hospital	87205 CPT	$60.00	$33.00	$4.15 – $51.90	—
HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE INTERP GRAM STAIN Outpatient	Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital	87205 CPT	$20.00	$11.00	$4.27 – $21.35	—
GRAM SMEAR Inpatient	Aurora BayCare Medical Center	87205 CPT	$80.00	$40.00	$48.00 – $68.00	—

How to read these prices

Cash price: The discounted self-pay price for paying directly, without insurance.
List price: The hospital’s full undiscounted charge — rarely what anyone pays.
Negotiated rate: A rate for a specific insurer and plan; your share depends on your benefits.
Allowed amount: A historical reference for what was actually allowed, where disclosed.

Hospitals that publish 87205 prices

Open a hospital to see this code in the context of its full published prices.

Endeavor Health Edward Hospital University of Chicago Medical Center Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Advocate Condell Medical Center Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital Advocate South Suburban Hospital Froedtert Hospital Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital Aurora BayCare Medical Center Aurora Medical Center Burlington Munson Healthcare Charlevoix Hospital Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital Aurora Medical Center Bay Area Aurora Medical Center Fond du Lac Aurora Medical Center Grafton Aurora Medical Center Kenosha Aurora Lakeland Medical Center Froedtert West Bend Hospital Froedtert Holy Family Memorial Hospital Froedtert Community Hospital - Mequon Froedtert Community Hospital - New Berlin Froedtert Community Hospital - Oak Creek Kalkaska Memorial Health Center Paul Oliver Memorial Hospital Munson Healthcare Cadillac Munson Medical Center Deaconess Gibson Hospital Deaconess Union County Hospital The Women's Hospital Deaconess Illinois Medical Center Providence Alaska Medical Center Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center Stanford Health Care Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Providence Seward Hospital Providence Valdez Medical Center St Elias Specialty Hospital Healdsburg Hospital Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Providence Little Co of Mary Med Center San Pedro Texas Health Center for Diagnostics and Surgery Plano Providence Little Company of Mary Med Center Torrance Providence Saint John's Health Center Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Providence St Joseph Medical Center

Code 87205: frequently asked

What does code 87205 cost?: Across the published hospital price files, the disclosed cash price for 87205 ranges from $9.35 to $179. This is public hospital price transparency data, not a guaranteed estimate of your bill.
Will this be my final bill?: Actual patient responsibility may vary based on your insurance plan, deductible, coinsurance, network status, diagnosis, setting, bundled services, clinical circumstances, and hospital billing practices.
What is code 87205?: 87205 is the billing code hospitals use to identify "HC SMEAR PRIMARY SOURCE GRAM STAIN" on their published price files. We use it to line up the same service across different hospitals.
Why do prices for this code differ between hospitals?: Each hospital sets its own prices and negotiates separately with each insurer, so the disclosed price for the same code can vary widely from one hospital to another — and even between plans at a single hospital. Comparing the published figures is what this page is for; a difference does not by itself mean one hospital is better or worse.
What this page is not: It is not a quote, a guarantee, or medical advice. It shows what hospitals have published for this code, so you can compare and ask informed questions — your actual cost depends on your insurance, the exact services performed, and the care setting.

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