Price study · Checked November 5, 2026
What Texas hospitals charge cash for common lab tests, compared with ordering online
We read the self-pay prices that 11 Texas hospitals in 6 cities publish in their federally required price files. For a comprehensive metabolic panel, posted cash prices ranged from $10.56 (Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital) to $2,611 (Methodist Hospital (San Antonio)). The median hospital price was $288.40, about 7.4 times the $39 online price for the same test.
Key findings
- Most hospitals charge several times the online price. For a metabolic panel, 8 of 11 hospitals posted a cash price at least three times the online price. For a lipid panel it was 8 of 11, and for a blood count 6 of 9.
- The same test can cost almost anything. A lipid panel ran from $13.39 to $1,735 depending on the hospital. Prices in the same city differed by many times.
- Public hospitals were the cheapest. The lowest prices came from Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital, University Medical Center of El Paso, Midland Memorial Hospital, which charged at or below online prices. Not every public hospital was cheap: Medical Center Hospital in Odessa charged $150 for a blood count.
- Two for-profit hospitals listed no cash discount at all. Medical City Dallas and Methodist Hospital (San Antonio) posted cash prices equal to their full charges, the highest in the study.
Metabolic panel: posted cash price by hospital
Comprehensive metabolic panel (CPT 80053). Lowest cash price each hospital lists. The online price is the $39 list price for the same test ordered online, including the blood draw.
All tests, all hospitals
Self-pay prices in US dollars. A range means the hospital lists more than one charge line for the test. "—" means no priced line was found.
| Hospital | City | Complete blood count (CBC) | Comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) | Lipid panel | Hemoglobin A1c | TSH (thyroid) | Vitamin D, 25-hydroxy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online price | Any | $28 | $39 | $29 | $29 | $39 | $59 |
| Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital · Public | Houston | $7.77 | $10.56 | $13.39 | $9.71 | $16.80 | $29.60 |
| University Medical Center of El Paso · Public | El Paso | $8.65 | $34.44 | $34.94 | $17.58 | $15.12–$37.63 | $33.11–$35.16 |
| Midland Memorial Hospital · Public | Midland | $15 | $20 | $25 | $20 | $30 | $45 |
| Methodist Dallas Medical Center · Nonprofit | Dallas | $93.90 | $243 | $148.20 | $30.60–$47.40 | $207 | $17.70–$87.60 |
| Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center · Nonprofit | Houston | $93.80 | $472.85 | $155.05 | $74.90 | $151.55 | $128.80 |
| Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center · Nonprofit | Houston | $101.44 | $288.40 | $305.68 | $53.60–$57.28 | $54.32–$58.08 | $63.20 |
| Parkland Health · Public | Dallas | $102.80–$104.80 | $236.80 | $106.40–$157.20 | $8.80–$103.60 | $112.80–$153.60 | $24–$202.40 |
| Medical Center Hospital · Public | Odessa | $150 | $398 | $271 | $149 | $232 | $313 |
| Houston Methodist Hospital · Nonprofit | Houston | $152.50–$155 | $572.50 | $241.50 | $205.50 | $282.50 | $241 |
| Medical City Dallas · For-profit | Dallas | — | $1,978 | $1,735 | $124.23–$759.96 | $1,851 | $711.56 |
| Methodist Hospital (San Antonio) · For-profit | San Antonio | — | $2,611–$2,854 | $381.52–$1,526 | $481.45–$506.90 | $710.37 | $1,880 |
| Median hospital | 11 hospitals | $93.90 (3.4×) | $288.40 (7.4×) | $155.05 (5.3×) | $53.60 (1.8×) | $151.55 (3.9×) | $63.20 (1.1×) |
Online prices are the list prices for the same tests on healthlabs.com, as recorded on this site (links go to our page for each test). Hospital prices checked November 5, 2026.
Online prices for these tests
The online prices in this study, with what each test measures, what's included and where to have blood drawn.
Test centers in the study cities: Houston, El Paso, Midland, Dallas, Odessa and San Antonio.
Neighbors, ten times apart
Midland Memorial Hospital publishes a self-pay price list for tests ordered without a doctor's visit: $15 for a blood count and $20 for a metabolic panel. About 20 miles away, Odessa's Medical Center Hospital lists $150 and $398. Both are public hospital districts.
How we collected the prices
- Source: each hospital's machine-readable file of standard charges, which federal price-transparency rules require hospitals to publish. We used the "discounted cash" price, the amount a patient paying without insurance is charged. For Midland Memorial we used the hospital's published Direct Access price list.
- Tests: six common blood tests, matched by billing code (CPT 85025, 80053, 80061, 83036, 84443, 82306).
- Conservative comparison: when a hospital lists several prices for the same test, the summary figures use the lowest one.
- What the prices cover: the hospital's facility charge for the test. A separate physician, draw or visit fee may apply. Online prices include the blood draw at a partner lab.
- Hospitals: 11 hospitals in Houston, El Paso, Midland, Dallas, Odessa, San Antonio. Some hospitals' files could not be read or did not list these tests individually, and are not included.
- Prices change. Hospitals update these files at least once a year. Last checked November 5, 2026.
Sources
- Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital · file dated March 24, 2026
- University Medical Center of El Paso · file dated March 16, 2026
- Midland Memorial Hospital · Direct Access self-pay price list
- Methodist Dallas Medical Center · file dated March 20, 2026
- Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center · file dated February 28, 2026
- Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center · file dated April 1, 2026
- Parkland Health · file dated October 16, 2026
- Medical Center Hospital · file dated May 4, 2026
- Houston Methodist Hospital
- Medical City Dallas · file dated September 1, 2026 · File lists no cash discount (cash price equals full charge)
- Methodist Hospital (San Antonio) · File lists no cash discount (cash price equals full charge)
Use this data
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Suggested credit: Source: SafeHealthCheck, Texas hospital lab prices study (November 5, 2026).
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