Hepatitis B core antibody cost in Merced, CA
In Merced, CA, 2 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis B core antibody test (total): from $31.42 to $162.00, with a median of $96.71. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Medical Center — $65.29 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $37.73 at 176 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 86704, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 29, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 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 Merced, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center lowest Merced, CA · (209) 564-5000 H-HEPB CORE AB TOT 8222 File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $31.42 | $61.00 | $12.05–$61.00 | 48% |
| Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA · (209) 564-5000 BM-HEPATITIS B CORE AB File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $83.95 | $163.00 | $12.05–$163.00 | 48% |
| Mercy Medical Center Merced, CA · (209) 564-5000 HEPATITIS B CORE AB File of Feb 28, 2026 · source file | $104.55 | $203.00 | $12.05–$203.00 | 48% |
| Memorial Hospital Los Banos Los Banos, CA · (209) 826-0591 HCHG CORE HB CORE AB TOTAL+1 more line at this price File of Apr 1, 2026 · source file | $162.00 | $162.00 | — | — |
Outpatient: lowest $31.42, median $96.71, highest $162.00 — a 5.2× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $96.71. 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
A hepatitis B core antibody test shows whether a person has ever been infected with hepatitis B. It is part of hepatitis B screening together with the surface antigen and surface antibody tests.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.
2 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 86704 ($68.40). 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.
| Hospital | Cash price | File |
|---|---|---|
| Mercy Medical Center Merced, CARL-A-HBV EXP 3016631B | $3.01 | file |
| Mercy Medical Center Merced, CARL-A-HBCAB 20091 | $3.09 | file |