Hepatitis C RNA test cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 7 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $191.10 to $1,280.21, with a median of $310.70. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital South and 1 other hospital — $119.60 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $313.95 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 7 facilities across 6 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital South lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification | $191.10 | $294.00 | $38.56–$96.39 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Washington lowest Washington, MO Hepatitis C Virus Quantification | $191.10 | $294.00 | $139.65–$264.60 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO Hepatitis C Virus Quantification | $226.20 | $348.00 | $38.56–$96.39 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO Hepatitis C Virus Quantification | $310.70 | $478.00 | $38.56–$96.39 | 35% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification | $330.85 | $509.00 | $33.09–$509.00 | 35% | — source file |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC HEPATITIS C QN-90 | $658.80 | $915.00 | $31.63–$915.00 | 28% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 HEPATITIS C,RNA,QUAN | $1,280.21 | $2,133.69 | $2,133.69 | 40% | — source file |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center one side Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 Q35645 HCV RNAQT RT- | $1,280.21 | $2,133.69 | $2,133.69 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $191.10, median $310.70, highest $1,280.21 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 4 facilities here, median $507.76. 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 4 of 7 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 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.