HIV viral load test cost in Columbia, MO
In Columbia, MO, 2 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $179.84 to $490.20, with a median of $335.02. The lowest listed price is at Boone Hospital Center — $155.18 less than the median here. Across Missouri, the median is $352.30 at 25 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 87536, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Dec 15, 2025 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 Columbia, MO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hospital Center one side lowest Columbia, MO · (573) 815-8000 HIV-1 NA RT QUANT | $179.84 | $299.73 | — | 40% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION (DNA OR RNA); HIV-1 P28630803 | $490.20 | $817.00 | $222.22–$718.96 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
| Curators of the University of Missouri Columbia, MO · (573) 882-4141 INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION (DNA OR RNA); HIV-1 P31030803 | $490.20 | $817.00 | $222.22–$718.96 | 40% | Dec 15, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $179.84, median $335.02, highest $490.20 — a 2.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $322.26. 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.