TB blood test (IGRA) cost in Iowa City, IA
In Iowa City, IA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for TB blood test measuring immune response (IGRA, gamma interferon): from $124.60 to $150.75, with a median of $137.68. The lowest listed price is at State University of Iowa — $13.08 less than the median here. Across Iowa, the median is $157.26 at 70 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 86480, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 11, 2026 and Sep 8, 2026.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Iowa City, IA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State University of Iowa lowest Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB M TUBERCULOSIS BY QUANTIFERON IN TUBE LATENT | $124.60 | $178.00 | $44.50–$408.16 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa lowest Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB M TUBERCULOSIS BY QUANTIFERON IN TUBE LATENT | $124.60 | $178.00 | $44.50–$408.16 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| Washington County Hospital Washington, IA · (319) 653-5481 Tuberculosis test, gamma interferon | $150.75 | $201.00 | $74.37–$190.95 | 25% | Sep 8, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB M TUBERCULOSIS BY QUANTIFERON | $177.10 | $253.00 | $58.88–$408.16 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB M TUBERCULOSIS BY QUANTIFERON | $177.10 | $253.00 | $58.88–$408.16 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB SHL QUANTIFERON TB GOLD | $297.50 | $425.00 | $58.88–$408.16 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB SHL QUANTIFERON TB GOLD | $297.50 | $425.00 | $58.88–$408.16 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB QUANTIFERON-TB GOLD | $501.20 | $716.00 | $58.88–$658.72 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
| State University of Iowa Iowa City, IA · (319) 356-1616 HB QUANTIFERON-TB GOLD | $501.20 | $716.00 | $58.88–$658.72 | 30% | Mar 11, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $124.60, median $137.68, highest $150.75 — a 1.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $124.60. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 2 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at none is it below every plan's rate. If you have insurance but have not met your deductible, you usually pay your plan's negotiated rate, which falls somewhere in the "Insurers pay" column. Paying cash can cost less, but a cash payment usually does not count toward your deductible. Ask the hospital for both numbers before you book.
What it is
This blood test, known as an interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), such as QuantiFERON, checks whether the immune system reacts to tuberculosis proteins. It is used to screen for TB infection, often for work, school or immigration, and replaces the skin test for many people.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the lab test only. The blood draw is often billed separately, and a chest X-ray after a positive result has its own charge.