HIV test (4th generation) cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for HIV-1/2 antigen and antibody combination blood test (4th generation): from $24.00 to $160.05, with a median of $144.00. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $120.00 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $87.36 at 93 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 facilities across 6 cities for code 87389, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HIV-1 AG W/HIV-1&-2 AB AG IA | $24.00 | $120.40 | $16.21–$139.06 | 80% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HIV 4TH GEN SCREEN LC 083935 | $24.00 | $139.06 | $16.21–$139.06 | 83% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA IAAD IA HIV-1 AG W/HIV-1 & HIV-2 ANTBDY SINGLE | $87.36 | $168.00 | $17.00–$50.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA IAAD IA HIV-1 AG W/HIV-1 & HIV-2 ANTBDY SINGLE | $87.36 | $168.00 | $17.00–$50.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 IAAD IA HIV-1 AG W/HIV-1 & HIV-2 ANTBDY SINGLE | $87.36 | $168.00 | $17.00–$50.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Cv-Hiv Ag/Ab Combo | $141.75 | $189.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Hiv Ag/Ab Combo | $141.75 | $189.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rch Scrmer Hc-Hiv Ag/Ab Combo | $141.75 | $189.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB NO | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$3,999.21 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB COM | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$156.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB COM | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$156.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB NO | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$156.00 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB COM | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$11,053.97 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB NO | $146.25 | $195.00 | $29.25–$159.90 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB COM | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$150.15 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC HIV 1 AG W/HIV 1/2 AB NO | $146.25 | $195.00 | $1.00–$2,482.12 | 25% | — source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Detection test for HIV-1 and HIV-2 | $160.05 | $291.00 | $20.26–$392.85 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $24.00, median $144.00, highest $160.05 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $146.25. 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 6 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 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 lab test checks blood for the HIV-1 p24 antigen and for antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 at the same time. Because it detects the antigen, it can find an infection earlier than antibody-only tests and is the standard first test for HIV screening.
What the price covers
The price usually covers the screening test only. The blood draw is often billed separately, and a positive result needs a follow-up confirmation test with its own charge.