Syphilis test (RPR) cost in Boston, MA
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, 8 hospitals list a cash price for syphilis screening blood test, non-treponemal (RPR or VDRL), yes/no result: from $5.40 to $44.00, with a median of $10.50. The lowest listed price is at Boston Medical Center — $5.10 less than the median here. Across Massachusetts, the median is $20.63 at 19 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 5 cities for code 86592, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Medical Center lowest Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Syphilis Test, Non-Treponemal Antibody; Qualitative | $5.40 | $12.00 | $3.69–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center South Brockton, MA · (508) 427-3000 HC Chg Syphilis Test Non-Treponemal Antibody Qual | $7.58 | $16.84 | $3.77–$394.86 | 55% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Brighton Boston, MA · (617) 789-3000 HC Chg Syphilis Test Non-Treponemal Antibody Qual | $8.14 | $18.08 | $3.77–$475.07 | 55% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Syphilis Test Non Treponemal Antibody Qual - Ra | $10.50 | $15.00 | $5.25–$17.55 | 30% | — source file |
| Lowell General Hospital Lowell, MA · (978) 937-6000 HC Syphilis Test Non Treponemal Antibody Qual - Vd | $10.50 | $15.00 | $5.25–$17.55 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Syphilis Test Non Treponemal Antibody Qual - Vd | $10.50 | $15.00 | $5.25–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Melrosewakefield Healthcare Melrose, MA · (781) 979-3000 HC Syphilis Test Non Treponemal Antibody Qual - Ra | $10.50 | $15.00 | $5.25–$530.75 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Syphilis Test Non Treponemal Antibody Qual - Vd | $10.50 | $15.00 | $3.94–$18.53 | 30% | — source file |
| Tufts Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 636-5000 HC Syphilis Test Non Treponemal Antibody Qual - Ra | $10.50 | $15.00 | $3.94–$18.53 | 30% | — source file |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA · (617) 638-8000 HC Chg Syphilis Test Non-Treponemal Antibody Qual | $17.10 | $38.00 | $3.69–$512.54 | 55% | — source file |
| Shriners Childrens - Boston Boston, MA · (617) 722-3000 SYPHILIS TEST NON-TREP QUAL | $41.30 | $41.30 | $3.69–$817.41 | — | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Syphilis So | $44.00 | $44.00 | $3.77–$44.00 | — | — source file |
| Cambridge Health Alliance Cambridge, MA · (617) 665-1000 HC Syphilis | $44.00 | $44.00 | $3.77–$44.00 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $5.40, median $10.50, highest $44.00 — a 8.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $10.50. 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 7 of 8 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, usually called RPR or VDRL, looks for antibodies the body makes in response to syphilis infection. It is used for screening, including during pregnancy, and gives a reactive or non-reactive result.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the screening test only. The blood draw is often billed separately, and a reactive result leads to a titer (86593) and a confirmation test (86780) with their own charges.