Herpes (HSV-2) blood test cost in San Diego, CA — inpatient
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 9 hospitals list a cash price for herpes blood test, HSV-2 antibody as an inpatient: from $87.36 to $126.75, with a median of $93.75. The lowest listed price is at Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa and 2 other hospitals — $6.39 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $66.08 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 9 facilities across 5 cities for code 86696, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa lowest San Diego, CA ANTIBODY HERPES SMPLX TYPE 2 | $87.36 | $168.00 | $13.00–$40.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion lowest San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 ANTIBODY HERPES SMPLX TYPE 2 | $87.36 | $168.00 | $13.00–$40.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos lowest San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 ANTIBODY HERPES SMPLX TYPE 2 | $87.36 | $168.00 | $13.00–$40.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC HERPES SIMPLEX TEST TYPE 2 - HSV 2 IGG ANTIBODY | $93.75 | $125.00 | $7.90–$100.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC HERPES SIMPLEX TEST TYPE 2 - HSV 2 IGG ANTIBODY | $93.75 | $125.00 | $17.50–$93.75 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC HERPES SIMPLEX TEST TYPE 2 - HSV 2 IGG ANTIBODY | $93.75 | $125.00 | $18.75–$93.75 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC HERPES SIMPLEX TEST TYPE 2 - HSV 2 IGG ANTIBODY | $93.75 | $125.00 | $18.75–$100.00 | 25% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Analysis For Antibody To Herpes Simplex Virus, Type 2 | $94.60 | $172.00 | $17.20–$232.20 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Hc-Herpes Simplex Type 2 | $126.75 | $169.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Cv-Herpes Simplex Type 2 | $126.75 | $169.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Herpes Sim 2 | $213.00 | $284.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Hsv Type Ii Igg Conf | $213.00 | $284.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Herpes Sim 2 302 | $213.00 | $284.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Herpes Simplex Type 2 Ab | $213.00 | $284.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $87.36, median $93.75, highest $126.75 — a 1.5× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 10 facilities here, median $93.75 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 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 looks for antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 2, the usual cause of genital herpes.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
4 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 86696 ($66.08). 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.
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CAHC HERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 2 AB | $4.50 | file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CAHC HERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 2 AB | $4.50 | file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CAHC HERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 2 AB | $4.50 | file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CAHC HERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 2 AB | $4.50 | file |