Herpes (HSV-1) blood test cost in Santa Cruz, CA
In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for herpes blood test, HSV-1 antibody: from $55.53 to $55.53, with a median of $55.53. Across California, the median is $57.17 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 86695, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Sep 15, 2026 and Sep 15, 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watsonville Community Hospital lowest Watsonville, CA · (831) 724-4741 Q3636 HSV1 IGG IA | $55.53 | $92.56 | $13.19–$112.06 | 40% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital lowest Watsonville, CA · (831) 724-4741 HERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 1 TEST | $55.53 | $92.56 | $13.19–$112.06 | 40% | Sep 15, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $55.53, median $55.53, highest $55.53.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $55.53. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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 looks for antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1, which causes cold sores and some genital herpes.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
3 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 86695 ($58.50). 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.
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAQ18924HERPES SMP TP1 | $3.02 | file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAQ6447 HERPES SMP TP1 | $3.60 | file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAQ90849HERPES SMP TP1 | $5.07 | file |