Hepatitis C RNA test cost in St. Louis, MO
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 12 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $191.10 to $1,280.21, with a median of $337.32. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Hospital South and 1 other hospital — $146.22 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $297.50 at 63 hospitals.
- The median here, $337.32, is 67% above the US median of $202.46.
- That is 7.9× Medicare's 2026 national rate for the same service ($42.84).
- St. Louis, MO has the lowest median of 2 metro areas in Missouri with at least 10 hospitals pricing this code.
- 1 of 12 hospitals list a cash price equal to their full list price, with no self-pay discount.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 11 cities for code 87522, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 6, 2026 and Jun 10, 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 St. Louis, MO-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Hospital South lowest Saint Louis, MO · (314) 525-1000 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $191.10 | $294.00 | $38.56–$96.39 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital Washington lowest Washington, MO · (636) 239-8000 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $191.10 | $294.00 | $139.65–$264.60 | 35% |
| Community Hospital of Staunton Staunton, IL · (618) 635-2200 HCV RNA BY PCR File of Feb 9, 2026 · source file | $209.60 | $419.20 | $96.00–$381.47 | 50% |
| Mercy Hospital Jefferson Festus, MO · (636) 933-1000 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $226.20 | $348.00 | $38.56–$96.39 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital St Louis Saint Louis, MO · (314) 251-6000 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification File of Jun 4, 2026 · source file | $310.70 | $478.00 | $38.56–$96.39 | 35% |
| Mercy Hospital Lincoln Troy, MO · (636) 528-8551 Hepatitis C Virus Quantification File of Jun 10, 2026 · source file | $330.85 | $509.00 | $33.09–$509.00 | 35% |
| Touchette Regional Hospital Cahokia Heights, IL · (618) 332-3060 Infectious agent detection by nucleic acid (DNA or RNA); hepatitis C, quantification, includes reverse transcription when performed File of Apr 13, 2026 · source file | $343.79 | $554.50 | $21.12–$528.00 | 38% |
| Carlinville Area Hospital Carlinville, IL · (217) 854-3141 ASSOC CHG REFLEX HCV QUANT PCR+1 more line at this price File of Mar 21, 2026 · source file | $394.10 | $563.00 | $202.68–$804.29 | 30% |
| Anderson Hospital Maryville, IL · (618) 288-5711 HCV RNA BY PCR File of Feb 6, 2026 · source file | $410.85 | $821.70 | $40.05–$739.53 | 50% |
| Jersey Community Hospital one side Jerseyville, IL · (618) 498-6402 .HCV RNA, Quant. RT-PCR QST File of Mar 10, 2026 · source file | $473.00 | $473.00 | $247.38–$402.05 | — |
| Jersey Community Hospital one side Jerseyville, IL · (618) 498-6402 HCV RNA, Qnt RT PCR QST File of Mar 10, 2026 · source file | $494.00 | $494.00 | $258.36–$419.90 | — |
| Carlinville Area Hospital Carlinville, IL · (217) 854-3141 HEPATITIS C RNA QUANT PCR+1 more line at this price File of Mar 21, 2026 · source file | $522.20 | $746.00 | $268.56–$1,065.71 | 30% |
| Hshs Holy Family Hospital Greenville, IL · (618) 664-1230 HC HEPATITIS C QN-90 File of Mar 24, 2026 · source file | $658.80 | $915.00 | $31.63–$915.00 | 28% |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center one side Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 Q35645 HCV RNAQT RT- File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,280.21 | $2,133.69 | $2,133.69 | 40% |
| Gateway Regional Medical Center Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 HEPATITIS C,RNA,QUAN File of Mar 30, 2026 · source file | $1,280.21 | $2,133.69 | $2,133.69 | 40% |
Outpatient: lowest $191.10, median $337.32, highest $1,280.21 — a 6.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $441.93. 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 8 of 12 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.