HIV viral load test cost in Buffalo, NY
In Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY, 6 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $222.74 to $362.49, with a median of $234.00. The lowest listed price is at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center — $11.26 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $216.67 at 64 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 3 cities for code 87536, 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 Aug 25, 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 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center lowest Niagara Falls, NY · (716) 278-4000 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ | $222.74 | $318.20 | $80.84–$115.96 | 30% | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv-1 Rna, Ultrasensitive Quant, Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv Rna, Quantitative, Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv-1 Rna, Ultrasensitive Quant, Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv 1 Rna Quant by Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo Buffalo, NY · (716) 826-7000 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv Rna, Quantitative, Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv 1 Rna Quant by Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv Rna, Quantitative, Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Mount St. Mary's Hospital Lewiston, NY · (716) 297-4800 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv-1 Rna, Ultrasensitive Quant, Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Sisters of Charity Hospital Buffalo, NY · (716) 862-1000 HC Hiv-1 Quant&Revrse Trnscrpj - Hiv 1 Rna Quant by Pcr | $234.00 | $234.00 | $10.00–$234.00 | — | — source file |
| Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center Niagara Falls, NY · (716) 278-4000 DETECTION TEST BY NUCLEIC ACID FOR HIV-1 VIRUS; QUANTIFICATION | $245.01 | $350.02 | $80.84–$115.96 | 30% | — source file |
| Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, NY Hiv Quant, Rna(Pcr) | $263.32 | $263.32 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 HIV REAL-TIME PCR QUANTITATIVE | $362.49 | $446.42 | $55.38–$401.77 | 19% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
| Erie County Medical Center Buffalo, NY · (716) 898-3936 RNA VIRAL LOAD | $362.49 | $446.42 | $55.38–$401.77 | 19% | Aug 25, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $222.74, median $234.00, highest $362.49 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $234.00. 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 1 of 5 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 HIV viral load test measures how much virus is in the blood. It shows how well treatment is working.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test. The blood draw (36415) is often billed as a separate line.