HIV viral load test cost in Cincinnati, OH
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, 15 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $129.54 to $817.20, with a median of $159.56. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center — $30.02 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $367.20 at 95 hospitals.
Cash prices at 15 facilities across 9 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 Jul 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 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center lowest Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Quantitation | $129.54 | $254.00 | $50.19–$254.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $159.00 | $265.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $159.00 | $265.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $159.00 | $265.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $159.00 | $265.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $159.00 | $265.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $159.00 | $265.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Bethesda North Cincinnati, OH · (513) 865-1111 HC Hiv 1 Rna Vir Load Quant | $159.56 | $212.74 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital Oxford, OH · (513) 523-2111 HC Hiv 1 Rna Vir Load Quant | $261.68 | $348.91 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Health Kings Mills Hospital Mason, OH · (513) 637-9999 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $269.40 | $449.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Clermont Hospital Batavia, OH · (513) 732-8278 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $269.40 | $449.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health West Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 215-5000 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $269.40 | $449.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health Cincinnati, OH · (513) 686-3000 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $269.40 | $449.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Anderson Hospital Cincinnati, OH · (513) 624-4500 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $269.40 | $449.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Fairfield Hospital Fairfield, OH · (513) 870-7000 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $269.40 | $449.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| The Good Samaritan Hospital of Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati, OH · (513) 862-2601 HC Hiv 1 Rna Vir Load Quant | $290.74 | $387.66 | — | 25% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 636-3333 Hb Hiv Viral Load Neonatal | $405.96 | $796.00 | $50.19–$796.00 | 49% | — source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Kettering, OH Hc Hiv-1 Quantification | $443.60 | $1,109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Hiv-1 Detection By Nucleic Acid (Dna Or Rna), Quantification, Includes Reverse Transcription When | $443.60 | $1,109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Fort Hamilton Hospital Hamilton, OH · (513) 867-2123 Hc Hiv-1 Quantification | $443.60 | $1,109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Kettering, OH Hc Hiv-1 Detection By Nucleic Acid (Dna Or Rna), Quantification, Includes Reverse Transcription When | $443.60 | $1,109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Miamisburg, OH · (937) 384-8760 Hc Hiv-1 Quantification | $443.60 | $1,109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kettering Medical Center Miamisburg, OH · (937) 384-8760 Hc Hiv-1 Detection By Nucleic Acid (Dna Or Rna), Quantification, Includes Reverse Transcription When | $443.60 | $1,109.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| West Chester Hospital West Chester, OH · (513) 298-7701 Hc Hiv Quant By Pcr | $817.20 | $1,362.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University of Cincinnati Medical Center Cincinnati, OH · (513) 584-1000 Hc Hiv Quant By Pcr | $817.20 | $1,362.00 | — | 40% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $129.54, median $159.56, highest $817.20 — a 6.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $180.60. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is 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 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.