Hepatitis C RNA test cost in St. Louis, MO — inpatient
In St. Louis, MO-IL, 4 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test as an inpatient: from $148.44 to $1,280.21, with a median of $507.76. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South — $359.32 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $313.95 at 27 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 4 cities for code 87522, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 16, 2026 and Mar 16, 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 | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital South lowest Louis, MO HEPATITIS C VIRUS AB RNA | $148.44 | $148.44 | $148.44 | — | Mar 16, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital St. Louis Chesterfield, MO HEPATITIS C VIRUS AB RNA | $356.72 | $356.72 | $356.72 | — | Mar 16, 2026 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 one side Granite City, IL · (618) 798-3000 Q35645 HCV RNAQT RT- | $1,280.21 | $2,133.69 | $2,133.69 | 40% | — 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 |
Inpatient: lowest $148.44, median $507.76, highest $1,280.21 — a 8.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 7 facilities here, median $310.70 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 4 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.