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Antibiotic Susceptibility Test, Each Drug

Alabama rates for HCPCS 87181

A follow-on laboratory test once bacteria have been grown from a sample. The organism is exposed to an antibiotic mixed into the material it is growing on, to see whether that drug stops it and at what strength, with a result reported for each drug tested.

Rates data updated October 2026.

How much does Antibiotic Susceptibility Test, Each Drug cost?

$5.50

Typical negotiated rate. In Alabama, October 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $5.50 for this service. The price depends on where it is billed: about $3.80 from a physician practice, and about $10.47 from a hospital or other facility.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 4 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

Prices by location type

Billed byTypicalRange
Physician practiceA doctor's office, clinic or independent provider$3.80$2.40 to $5.50
FacilityA hospital or hospital-owned outpatient department$10.47$10.47 to $10.47

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $10 · 10th to 90th $5 to $10Professionalmedian $4 · 10th to 90th $2 to $5
$2$5$10$20facility $10professional $4

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$5.50
Median
$5.50
Typical High
$7.24
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3.16
Median
$5.50
Typical High
$5.50
BCBS Alabama
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$10.47
Median
$10.47
Typical High
$10.47
BCBS Alabama
Setting
Professional
Modifier
21 + 22 · Increased work + 24 · Unrelated visit after surgery + 31 + 55 · Aftercare only + 99 · Multiple modifiers
Typical Low
$3.31
Median
$3.98
Typical High
$4.79
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$3.89
Median
$3.98
Typical High
$15.49
Cigna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2.40
Median
$2.95
Typical High
$26.92
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$1.70
Median
$3.02
Typical High
$4.79
United
Setting
Professional
Modifier
None
Typical Low
$2.00
Median
$2.69
Typical High
$3.89
2 more rates with less common billing modifiers

A modifier changes what was billed, for example a reduced or repeated service. Each of these modifiers carries under 10% of the published rates for this code. Modifier combinations, and modifiers with fewer than 30 rates for a carrier, are not listed.

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
52 · Reduced service
Typical Low
$2.09
Median
$2.75
Typical High
$2.75
Aetna
Setting
Professional
Modifier
53 · Discontinued
Typical Low
$0.83
Median
$1.10
Typical High
$1.10

Where Alabama sits

The same service costs 9.1 times more in Kansas than in Kentucky. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

Alabama· 13th of 51

$5.50

KS $11.75KY $1.29

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.