Lab tests CPT 87522 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

Hepatitis C RNA test cost in Seaford, DE — inpatient

In Seaford, DE, 2 hospitals list a cash price for hepatitis C viral load (HCV RNA) test as an inpatient: from $121.00 to $771.96, with a median of $446.48. The lowest listed price is at TidalHealth Nanticoke — $325.48 less than the median here. Across Delaware, the median is $640.20 at 6 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 87522, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 1, 2026.

Lowest$121.00TidalHealth Nanticoke
Median$446.48half pay less
Highest$771.96in 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 Seaford, DE.

median
Lowest $121.00Highest $771.96

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
TidalHealth Nanticoke lowest Seaford, DE · (302) 629-6611 HC Hepatitis C, Reverse Transcription & Quantification $121.00 $121.00 $42.84–$113.95 — —
source file
Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus Milford, DE · (302) 422-3311 Hc Hepatitis C Revrs Trnscrpj $771.96 $919.00 — 16% Apr 1, 2026
source file

Inpatient: lowest $121.00, median $446.48, highest $771.96 — a 6.4× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $723.35 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is not below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.