Herpes (HSV-2) blood test cost in Santa Cruz, CA
In Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, 1 hospital lists a cash price for herpes blood test, HSV-2 antibody: from $21.00 to $21.00, with a median of $21.00. Across California, the median is $24.00 at 174 hospitals.
Cash prices at 1 facility for code 86696, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center of Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA · (831) 477-2200 HCHG CORE HSV 2 AB IGG TYPE SPECIFIC | $21.00 | $21.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $21.00, median $21.00, highest $21.00.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $21.00. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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 ($71.46). 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, CAQ3640 HSV 2 SPEC AB | $1.99 | file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAHERPES SIMPLEX TYPE 2 TEST | $1.99 | file |
| Watsonville Community Hospital Watsonville, CAQ18924HERPES SMP TP2 | $3.02 | file |
| Dominican Hospital Santa Cruz, CARL-A-HERP II S 50294 | $6.08 | file |