Lab tests CPT 87536 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

HIV viral load test cost in Denver, CO — inpatient

In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 6 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative) as an inpatient: from $101.79 to $1,379.76, with a median of $1,379.76. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $1,277.97 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $171.01 at 13 hospitals.

Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 cities for code 87536, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 2026 and Apr 30, 2026.

Lowest$101.79Denver Health and Hospital Authority
Median$1,379.76half pay less
Highest$1,379.76in this market
Difference13.6×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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.

median
Lowest $101.79Highest $1,379.76

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC HIVI QUANTITATION $101.79 $290.81 $99.75 65% Apr 30, 2026
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Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS 1 (HIV-1) BY QUANTITATIVE NAAT CSF ARUP 3000872 $126.78 $362.21 $124.24 65% Apr 30, 2026
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Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC REFLEX HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS 1 (HIV-1) BY QUANTITATIVE NAAT, PLASMA ARUP 3000867 $152.13 $434.65 $149.08 65% Apr 30, 2026
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Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS 1 BY QUANTITATIVE PCR ARUP 0055598 $152.13 $434.65 $149.08 65% Apr 30, 2026
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Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB HIV-1 RNA QUANTIFICATION $230.75 $355.00 $53.25–$326.60 35% Apr 17, 2026
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Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=HIV-1 RNA QUANT REFLEX TO RESIST TEST PLASMA-MAYO $290.55 $447.00 $67.05–$411.24 35% Apr 17, 2026
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Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=HIV PCR QUANT $341.90 $526.00 $78.90–$483.92 35% Apr 17, 2026
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Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB HIV QUANT PCR $851.08 $1,309.35 $196.40–$1,204.60 35% Apr 17, 2026
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AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC HIV 1 BY QUANTITATIVE NAAT, PLASMA (ARUP) $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC HIV 1 QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC HIV 1 RNA QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ - HIV-1 RNA, ULTRASENSITIVE QUANT, PCR $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC HIV 1 PCR QUANTITATIVE $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC HIV 1 BY QUANTITATIVE NAAT, PLASMA (ARUP) $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC HIV 1 RNA QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC HIV 1 RNA QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ - HIV-1 RNA, ULTRASENSITIVE QUANT, PCR $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC HIV 1 PCR QUANTITATIVE $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC HIV 1 BY QUANTITATIVE NAAT, PLASMA (ARUP) $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC HIV 1 QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC HIV 1 QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ - HIV-1 RNA, ULTRASENSITIVE QUANT, PCR $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC HIV 1 PCR QUANTITATIVE $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC HIV 1 BY QUANTITATIVE NAAT, PLASMA (ARUP) $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC HIV 1 QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC HIV 1 RNA QUANT PCR - QDID $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ - HIV-1 RNA, ULTRASENSITIVE QUANT, PCR $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC HIV 1 PCR QUANTITATIVE $1,379.76 $1,379.76 — — Apr 1, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $101.79, median $1,379.76, highest $1,379.76 — a 13.6× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $1,379.76 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 1 of 2 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.