HIV viral load test cost in Charleston, SC
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, 5 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $102.70 to $646.00, with a median of $102.70. The lowest listed price is at Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital and 3 other hospitals. Across South Carolina, the median is $475.50 at 18 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 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 Apr 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital lowest Mount Pleasant, SC HC So1 Hiv-1 Quantification | $102.70 | $158.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley lowest Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC So1 Hiv-1 Quantification | $102.70 | $158.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC So1 Hiv-1 Quantification | $102.70 | $158.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper Hospital lowest Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC So1 Hiv-1 Quantification | $102.70 | $158.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 724-2800 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $403.65 | $621.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Bon Secours St Francis Xavier Hospital Charleston, SC · (843) 402-1006 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $403.65 | $621.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital Mount Pleasant, SC HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $403.65 | $621.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| Roper St Francis Hospital Berkeley Summerville, SC · (854) 529-3002 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $403.65 | $621.00 | — | 35% | — source file |
| MUSC Medical Center Charleston, SC · (843) 792-2300 HB HIV1 QN RNA | $646.00 | $1,292.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $102.70, median $102.70, highest $646.00 — a 6.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $102.70. Inpatient and outpatient prices are not comparable and are kept on separate pages: the inpatient charge covers admission, not the same purchase.
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.