HIV viral load test cost in Harrisburg, PA
In Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA, 6 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $94.89 to $474.60, with a median of $178.62. The lowest listed price is at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute — $83.73 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $474.60 at 62 hospitals.
Cash prices at 6 facilities across 5 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 — and —.
Where each hospital's price falls
Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute lowest Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-4742 87536 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ Tech | $94.89 | $553.00 | $208.37–$442.40 | 83% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 87536 HIV VIRAL LOAD by Real Time PCR. Tech | $132.11 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center Camp Hill, PA · (717) 763-2100 87536 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ Tech | $132.11 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 76% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 87536 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ Tech | $174.03 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Hampden Medical Center Enola, PA · (717) 981-9000 87536 HIV VIRAL LOAD by Real Time PCR. Tech | $174.03 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 69% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 HIV VIRAL LOAD by Real Time PCR. | $183.21 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center one side Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 HIV-1 VIR LOAD TAQ RT PC (SQ) | $183.21 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 67% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center Hershey, PA · (717) 531-8521 HIV-1 RNA QUAN PCR ULT (SQ) | $183.21 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 67% | — source file |
| UPMC Carlisle Carlisle, PA · (717) 249-1212 HC RNA REV PROG | $474.60 | $791.00 | $52.00–$672.35 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-3131 HC RNA REV PROG | $474.60 | $791.00 | $84.25–$902.93 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Carlisle one side Carlisle, PA · (717) 249-1212 HC HIV-1 RNA,QUANT RT PCR | $474.60 | $791.00 | $52.00–$672.35 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Pinnacle Hospitals one side Harrisburg, PA · (717) 782-3131 HC HIV-1 RNA,QUANT RT PCR | $474.60 | $791.00 | $84.25–$902.93 | 40% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $94.89, median $178.62, highest $474.60 — a 5.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 6 facilities here, median $178.62. 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 6 of 6 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 1 it is 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.