TB blood test (IGRA) cost in Merced, CA — inpatient
In Merced, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for TB blood test measuring immune response (IGRA, gamma interferon) as an inpatient: from $18.03 to $18.03, with a median of $18.03. Across California, the median is $70.88 at 136 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 86480, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Feb 28, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dignity Health Merced, CA · (209) 564-5000 RL-A-QFT PLUS 3017554 | $18.03 | $35.00 | $21.00–$32.90 | 48% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $18.03, median $18.03, highest $18.03.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $18.03 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated and 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.
1 row held back from this comparison
It is priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 86480 ($162.58). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Dignity Health Merced, CARL-A-QFT 4 3017562 | $15.45 | file |