Lab tests CPT 87522 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Hepatitis C RNA test cost in Birmingham, AL — inpatient

In Birmingham, AL, 5 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test as an inpatient: from $115.70 to $928.11, with a median of $928.11. The lowest listed price is at The Children's Hospital of Alabama — $812.41 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $310.54 at 12 hospitals.

Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 87522, 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.

Lowest$115.70The Children's Hospital of Alabama
Median$928.11half pay less
Highest$928.11in this market
Difference8.0×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Birmingham, AL.

median
Lowest $115.70Highest $928.11

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hcv Quant Pcr $115.70 $269.06 $182.96–$242.15 57% —
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hcv Quant Pcr $115.70 $269.06 $269.06 57% —
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The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hcv Quant Pcr $115.70 $269.06 $182.96–$242.15 57% —
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Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 877-1000 Hep C Quant/2 $823.00 $823.00 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster, AL · (205) 620-8100 Hc Hepatitis C Rna Quant $928.11 $928.11 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 783-3800 Hc Hepatitis C Rna Quant $928.11 $928.11 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper, AL · (205) 387-4000 Hc Hepatitis C Rna Quant $928.11 $928.11 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $115.70, median $928.11, highest $928.11 — a 8.0× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $928.11 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

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 and 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

The HCV RNA test measures the hepatitis C virus in the blood. It confirms an active infection after a positive antibody test (86803) and shows whether treatment has cured it.

What the price covers

The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.