Lab tests CPT 87522 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Hepatitis C RNA test cost in San Francisco, CA — inpatient

In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, 11 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test as an inpatient: from $36.00 to $229.60, with a median of $229.60. The lowest listed price is at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley — $193.60 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $87.88 at 90 hospitals.

Cash prices at 11 facilities across 11 cities for code 87522, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 23, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$36.00Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley
Median$229.60half pay less
Highest$229.60in this market
Difference6.4×highest vs lowest

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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA.

median
Lowest $36.00Highest $229.60

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley lowest Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 Hcv by Quantitative Naat $36.00 $90.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Hayward Sisters Hospital Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 LC - HCVRTPCRQuant(NonGraph) $44.09 $146.96 $102.87–$113.16 70% Feb 23, 2026
source file
Hayward Sisters Hospital Hayward, CA · (510) 782-6200 LC-HEPCRNAPCRWUAONGRWREFLTOGEN $141.12 $470.40 $329.28–$362.21 70% Feb 23, 2026
source file
Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley Pleasanton, CA · (925) 847-3000 HC Hcv Rna Quant Assay $181.20 $453.00 — 60% Apr 1, 2026
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Fremont Fremont, CA · (510) 784-4000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Redwood City Redwood City, CA · (650) 299-2000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Rafael San Rafael, CA · (415) 444-2000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Antioch Antioch, CA · (925) 813-6500 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Leandro San Leandro, CA · (510) 454-1000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South San Francisco South San Francisco, CA · (650) 742-3200 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - San Francisco San Francisco, CA · (415) 833-2646 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Oakland/Richmond Oakland, CA · (510) 752-1000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file
Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Walnut Creek Walnut Creek, CA · (925) 295-4000 IADNA HEPATITIS C QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION $229.60 $410.00 $40.00–$125.00 44% —
source file

Inpatient: lowest $36.00, median $229.60, highest $229.60 — a 6.4× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $229.60 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 1 of 10 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.