Hepatitis C RNA test cost in San Diego, CA
In San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, 10 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test: from $42.00 to $201.75, with a median of $91.57. The lowest listed price is at Paradise Valley Hospital — $49.57 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $87.88 at 90 hospitals.
Cash prices at 10 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Sep 1, 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 Hep C RNA Qnt. LC550362 | $42.00 | $50.00 | $15.00–$247.40 | 16% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HEP C QUAN LC 550033 | $42.00 | $119.89 | $15.00–$247.40 | 65% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HEP.C QNT/GENO RFLX LC550100 | $42.00 | $65.16 | $15.00–$247.40 | 36% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital lowest National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HEP C VIRUS, RNA BDNA 3.0 | $42.00 | $104.85 | $15.00–$247.40 | 60% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital one side National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 Hep C RT-PCR Quant LC551300 | $42.00 | $214.20 | $15.00–$247.40 | 80% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Paradise Valley Hospital one side National City, CA · (619) 470-4321 HCV RT PCR QNT LC550362 | $42.00 | $247.40 | $15.00–$247.40 | 83% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| UC San Diego Medical Center San Diego, CA · (619) 543-6222 Detection Test For; Hepatitis C Virus | $59.40 | $108.00 | $12.96–$145.80 | 45% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Zion San Diego, CA · (619) 528-5000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $87.88 | $169.00 | $30.00–$90.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Diego - Clairemont Mesa San Diego, CA IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $87.88 | $169.00 | $30.00–$90.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Marcos San Marcos, CA · (760) 528-6295 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $87.88 | $169.00 | $30.00–$90.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Rsp Hepatitis C Rna Quant | $95.25 | $127.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Sharp Coronado Hospital and Healthcare Center Coronado, CA · (619) 435-6251 HC IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION - HCV QUANT PCR | $201.75 | $269.00 | $1.00–$242.10 | 25% | — source file |
| Grossmont Hospital La Mesa, CA · (619) 465-0711 HC IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION - HCV QUANT PCR | $201.75 | $269.00 | $1.00–$389.55 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center Chula Vista, CA · (619) 502-5800 HC IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION - HCV QUANT PCR | $201.75 | $269.00 | $1.15–$242.10 | 25% | — source file |
| Sharp Memorial Hospital San Diego, CA · (858) 939-3400 HC IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION - HCV QUANT PCR | $201.75 | $269.00 | $1.00–$220.58 | 25% | — source file |
| Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego San Diego, CA · (858) 576-1700 Scripps Nicu-Hep C Rna Pcr Quant | $271.50 | $362.00 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $42.00, median $91.57, highest $201.75 — a 4.8× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 9 facilities here, median $95.25. 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 9 of 9 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.