How much does a cholesterol test (lipid panel) cost in Denver?
Blood test of cholesterol and triglycerides. Below: the rates insurers have actually negotiated with 22 Denver-area hospitals, and the cash (self-pay) prices where published — from the hospitals' own federally required price files.
$13
lowest median negotiated rate
HCA HealthONE Presbyterian/St. Luke's
$171
highest (adult hospitals)
Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Medical Center
13.2×
price spread
same procedure, same metro
Median negotiated rate per hospital · sorted low → high · hover a bar for the full receipt
cash (self-pay) price
| Hospital | Gross charge | Cash price | Negotiated | Range | # rates | vs median |
|---|
* Specialty hospital (pediatric or cancer center) — rates reflect specialty case mix. † Median based on fewer than 3 published rates — treat as indicative. Bars show the median dollar-denominated commercial negotiated rate; hospitals sharing a health-system contract show similar rates.
SOURCE: standard-charges files from 22 hospitals · file dates 2025-11-01 → 2026-04-30 · retrieved 2026-08-15
Paying cash can beat using insurance. At Children's Hospital Colorado, the self-pay price is $67 — less than the $73 median commercial-insurer rate. If you haven't met your deductible, ask for the cash rate.