Hepatitis C RNA test cost in Lancaster, PA
In Lancaster, PA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $80.59 to $238.80, with a median of $178.40. The lowest listed price is at Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center — $97.81 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $246.15 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 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 — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Lancaster, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center one side lowest Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 HCV RNA, Quant RT PCR -Quest Tech | $80.59 | $278.00 | $36.41–$222.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 87522 HEPATITIS C REVRS TRNSCRPJ Tech | $80.59 | $278.00 | $36.41–$222.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 87522 HCV RNA Qnt w/Rflx Qual TMA-Quest Tech | $80.59 | $278.00 | $36.41–$222.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 87522 HCV RNA Qn PCR W/Refl To Geno -Quest Tech | $80.59 | $278.00 | $36.41–$222.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 87522 HCV RNA by Real Time PCR. Tech | $80.59 | $278.00 | $36.41–$222.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Ephrata Community Hospital Ephrata, PA · (717) 733-0311 Detection Test by Nucleic Acid for Hepatitis C Virus, Quantification | $178.40 | $223.00 | $39.25–$196.45 | 20% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC HCV RNA QUANT BY PCR | $238.80 | $398.00 | $39.65–$338.30 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC HCV RNA QUANT PCR | $238.80 | $398.00 | $39.65–$338.30 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC HCV VIRAL LOAD W/REF TO HCV GENO | $238.80 | $398.00 | $39.65–$338.30 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $80.59, median $178.40, highest $238.80 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $178.40. 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 3 of 3 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.