Hepatitis C RNA test cost in Buffalo, NY
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, 6 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $112.14 to $182.48, with a median of $118.00. The lowest listed price is at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center — $5.86 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $131.00 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 87522, 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 Aug 25, 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center lowest Niagara Falls, NY · (716) 278-4000 HEPATITIS C REVRS TRNSCRPJ | $112.14 | $160.20 | $40.70–$58.38 | 30% | — source file |
| Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Niagara Falls, NY · (716) 278-4000 DETECTION TEST BY NUCLEIC ACID FOR HEPATITIS C VIRUS; QUANTIFICATION | $116.82 | $166.88 | $40.70–$58.38 | 30% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hepatitis C Bdna | $118.00 | $118.00 | $10.00–$118.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hepatitis C Bdna | $118.00 | $118.00 | $10.00–$118.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hcv Quant Pcr | $118.00 | $118.00 | $10.00–$118.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hepatitis C Bdna | $118.00 | $118.00 | $10.00–$118.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hcv Quant Pcr | $118.00 | $118.00 | $10.00–$118.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Iadna Hepatitis C Quant & Reverse Transcription - Hcv Quant Pcr | $118.00 | $118.00 | $10.00–$118.00 | — | — source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Hcv Quantasure Serial | $181.44 | $181.44 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 HEPATITIS C PCR QUANT | $182.48 | $276.04 | $32.13–$248.43 | 34% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 HCV REAL-TIME PCR QUANTITATIVE | $182.48 | $276.04 | $32.13–$248.43 | 34% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Hcv Rna By Pcr Quant | $375.00 | $375.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $112.14, median $118.00, highest $182.48 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $118.00. 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 1 of 5 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
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.