Hepatitis C RNA test cost in Pittsburgh, PA
In Pittsburgh, PA, 23 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $35.50 to $975.00, with a median of $297.27. The lowest listed price is at Uniontown Hospital — $261.77 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $284.40 at 101 hospitals.
- The median here, $297.27, is 47% above the US median of $202.46.
- That is 6.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($42.84).
- Pittsburgh, PA ranks 2nd of 2 metro areas in Pennsylvania by median, cheapest first.
- Every hospital here lists a cash price below its full list price.
Cash prices at 23 facilities across 15 cities for code 87522, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Nov 10, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 17, 2025 and Oct 28, 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 Pittsburgh, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uniontown Hospital lowest Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 DETECTION TEST BY NUCLEIC ACID FOR HEPATITIS C VIRUS; QUANTIFICATION File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $35.50 | $71.00 | $40.49–$171.55 | 50% |
| Advanced Surgical Hospital Washington, PA · (724) 884-0710 HEPATITIS C VIRUS QUANTITATIVE BY PCR+1 more line at this price File of Apr 24, 2026 · source file | $42.84 | $400.00 | $40.69–$381.15 | 89% |
| Uniontown Hospital Uniontown, PA · (724) 430-5000 HEPATITIS C REVRS TRNSCRPJ File of Jul 9, 2026 · source file | $59.50 | $119.00 | $40.49–$171.55 | 50% |
| UPMC Washington Washington, PA · (724) 225-7000 HCV RNA BY PCR- QUANT File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $124.74 | $178.20 | $29.99–$128.30 | 30% |
| Excela Health Latrobe Hospital Latrobe, PA · (724) 832-4000 HEPATITIS C PCR QNT File of Dec 17, 2025 · source file | $156.00 | $260.00 | $39.65–$261.32 | 40% |
| Excela Health Westmoreland Regional Hospital Greeensburg, PA · (724) 832-4000 HEPATITIS C PCR QNT File of Dec 17, 2025 · source file | $156.00 | $260.00 | $39.65–$261.32 | 40% |
| Excela Health - Frick Hospital Mt Plesant, PA · (724) 547-1500 HEPATITIS C PCR QNT File of Dec 17, 2025 · source file | $156.00 | $260.00 | $59.20–$187.57 | 40% |
| UPMC Jameson one side New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $156.60 | $261.00 | $42.34–$332.58 | 40% |
| UPMC Jameson New Castle, PA · (724) 656-4100 HCV-QUANT+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $156.60 | $261.00 | $42.34–$332.58 | 40% |
| Armstrong County Memorial Hospital Kittanning, PA HCV RNA, PCR File of Mar 2, 2026 · source file | $202.50 | $675.00 | $38.65–$675.00 | 70% |
| Allegheny Valley Hospital Natrona Heights, PA · (412) 224-5100 HC HEPATITIS C PCR QUANT File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $267.19 | $347.00 | $20.75–$108.13 | 23% |
| West Penn Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 578-5000 HC HEPATITIS C PCR QUANT File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $281.78 | $386.00 | $21.36–$141.80 | 27% |
| Allegheny General Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 359-3131 HC HEPATITIS C PCR QUANT File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $293.36 | $386.00 | $21.36–$143.17 | 24% |
| Jefferson Regional Medical Center Jefferson Hills, PA · (412) 469-5000 HC HEPATITIS C PCR QUANT File of Oct 28, 2026 · source file | $297.27 | $367.00 | $20.75–$104.36 | 19% |
| Monogahela Valley Hospital Monongahela, PA · (724) 258-1000 HEPATITIS C-RNA,PCR QUANT File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $301.80 | $503.00 | $135.31–$616.43 | 40% |
| Highlands Hospital Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 REFLEX HCV RNA QUANT PCR+3 more lines at this price File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $301.80 | $503.00 | $169.51–$392.34 | 40% |
| Highlands Hospital one side Connellsville, PA · (724) 628-1500 HEPATITIS C QUANTITATIVE RT-PCR File of Feb 2, 2026 · source file | $301.80 | $503.00 | $169.51–$392.34 | 40% |
| Butler Memorial Hospital Butler, PA Hep C Rna Viral Load+3 more lines at this price File of Jan 1, 2026 · source file | $360.50 | $515.00 | $96.30–$540.75 | 30% |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC NUCLEIC ACID REV TRANS QN HEPATITIS File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $394.80 | $658.00 | $40.09–$605.36 | 40% |
| UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital one side Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 641-4010 HC HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $394.80 | $658.00 | $40.09–$605.36 | 40% |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC NUCLEIC ACID REV TRANS QN HEPATITIS File of Mar 7, 2026 · source file | $411.00 | $685.00 | $39.81–$582.25 | 40% |
| UPMC Passavant - McCandless one side Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 367-6700 HC HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 7, 2026 · source file | $411.00 | $685.00 | $39.81–$582.25 | 40% |
| UPMC Mercy Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 HCV-QUANT+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $443.40 | $739.00 | $35.71–$665.10 | 40% |
| UPMC Mercy one side Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 232-8111 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $443.40 | $739.00 | $35.71–$665.10 | 40% |
| UPMC Presbyterian one side Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $542.40 | $904.00 | $39.65–$768.40 | 40% |
| UPMC Presbyterian Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 647-2345 HEPATITIS C RNA BY PCR (QUANT)+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $542.40 | $904.00 | $39.65–$768.40 | 40% |
| UPMC McKeesport McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 HEPATITIS C RNA BY PCR (QUANT)+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $585.00 | $975.00 | $39.71–$828.75 | 40% |
| UPMC McKeesport one side McKeesport, PA · (412) 664-2000 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $585.00 | $975.00 | $39.71–$828.75 | 40% |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 HCV RNA QN PCR W/RFL GENOTYPE+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $838.20 | $1,397.00 | $38.17–$1,257.30 | 40% |
| UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh one side Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 692-5325 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $838.20 | $1,397.00 | $38.17–$1,257.30 | 40% |
| UPMC East Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 HEPATITIS C RNA BY PCR (QUANT)+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $879.00 | $1,465.00 | $39.65–$1,172.00 | 40% |
| UPMC East one side Monroeville, PA · (412) 357-3000 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $879.00 | $1,465.00 | $39.65–$1,172.00 | 40% |
| UPMC St Margaret one side Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 HEP C VIR RNA QN RT-PCR W/RFX File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $975.00 | $1,625.00 | $36.99–$1,381.25 | 40% |
| UPMC St Margaret Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 784-4000 HCV-QUANT+3 more lines at this price File of Mar 6, 2026 · source file | $975.00 | $1,625.00 | $36.99–$1,381.25 | 40% |
Outpatient: lowest $35.50, median $297.27, highest $975.00 — a 27.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 24 facilities here, median $301.80. 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 19 of 23 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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 hepatitis C RNA test is, what the price covers and why prices differ: Hepatitis C RNA test explained.