Herpes (HSV-2) blood test cost in Lexington, KY
In Lexington-Fayette, KY, 10 hospitals list a cash price for herpes blood test, HSV-2 antibody: from $9.29 to $243.60, with a median of $47.03. The lowest listed price is at University of Kentucky Hospital — $37.74 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $60.70 at 78 hospitals.
- The median here, $47.03, is 29% below the US median of $66.08.
- That is 2.4× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($19.35).
- Lexington, KY ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Kentucky by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 86696, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 9, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 30, 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 Lexington-Fayette, KY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Kentucky Hospital lowest Lexington, KY · (859) 257-2278 Hc 825 Herpes Simplex Type 2-So+ File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $9.29 | $23.22 | — | 60% |
| Georgetown Community Hospital Georgetown, KY · (502) 868-1100 Antibody; herpes simplex, type 2 File of Jul 10, 2026 · source file | $28.04 | $70.10 | $16.45 | 60% |
| Saint Joseph East Lexington, KY · (859) 967-5000 HC Lab Herpes Simpl Type 2+1 more line at this price File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $39.05 | $93.00 | $16.45–$59.89 | 58% |
| Continuing Care Hospital Lexington, KY HC LAB HERPES SIMPL TYPE 2 File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $41.24 | $93.00 | $19.35–$90.21 | 56% |
| Saint Joseph Hospital Lexington, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC Lab Herpes Simpl Type 2+1 more line at this price File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $44.17 | $93.00 | $16.45–$58.59 | 53% |
| Saint Joseph Hospital Nicholasville, KY · (859) 313-1000 HC Lab Herpes Simpl Type 2+1 more line at this price File of Sep 30, 2026 · source file | $49.89 | $93.00 | $16.45–$73.47 | 46% |
| Bluegrass Community Hospital Versailles, KY · (859) 879-2300 Antibody; herpes simplex, type 2 File of Jul 10, 2026 · source file | $76.78 | $191.96 | $16.45 | 60% |
| Clark Regional Medical Center Winchester, KY · (859) 737-8559 Antibody; herpes simplex, type 2 File of Jul 10, 2026 · source file | $207.86 | $519.66 | $16.45 | 60% |
| Bourbon Community Hospital Paris, KY · (859) 987-3600 Antibody; herpes simplex, type 2 File of Jul 11, 2026 · source file | $217.16 | $542.91 | $16.45 | 60% |
| Baptist Health Lexington Lexington, KY · (859) 260-6100 Analysis for antibody to Herpes simplex virus, type 2 File of Sep 28, 2026 · source file | $243.60 | $324.80 | $16.45–$660.32 | 25% |
Outpatient: lowest $9.29, median $47.03, highest $243.60 — a 26.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $41.24. 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 3 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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 herpes (HSV-2) blood test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Herpes (HSV-2) blood test explained.