HIV viral load test cost in Houston, TX
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 13 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $83.40 to $271.35, with a median of $88.00. The lowest listed price is at Hsa St. Joseph — $4.60 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $271.49 at 92 hospitals.
Cash prices at 13 facilities across 8 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 Mar 5, 2026 and Sep 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hsa St. Joseph lowest Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 RL HIV-1 RNA QUANTATVE PCR CSF | $83.40 | $866.31 | $44.73–$866.31 | 90% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph lowest Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ | $83.40 | $866.31 | $44.73–$866.31 | 90% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph lowest Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 RL HIV GENOTYPE | $83.40 | $771.63 | $44.73–$771.63 | 89% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph lowest Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 RL HIV ULTRASENSITIVE | $83.40 | $771.63 | $44.73–$771.63 | 89% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Hsa St. Joseph lowest Houston, TX · (713) 757-1000 RL HIV-1 RNA BY PCR QUANT | $83.40 | $866.31 | $44.73–$866.31 | 90% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Harris Health Houston, TX HIV-1 RNA (VIRAL LOAD) | $85.10 | $626.00 | $71.48–$406.90 | 86% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 HIV-1 NA QUAN, HIVGIL | $85.10 | $659.00 | $71.48–$428.35 | 87% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ (QUANT RNA PCR - ZRNAR) | $85.10 | $724.00 | $71.48–$470.60 | 88% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ; HIV GENOSURE(R) MG; ZHG1 | $85.10 | $724.00 | $71.48–$470.60 | 88% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 HIV-1 RNA (VIRAL LOAD) | $85.10 | $626.00 | $71.48–$406.90 | 86% | — source file |
| Harris Health Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 HIV-1 NUCLEIC ACID; QUANTITATIVE NAAT,CSF (LAB MISC) ARUP3000872 | $85.10 | $244.00 | $71.48–$231.13 | 65% | — source file |
| Harris Health Houston, TX HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ; HIV GENOSURE(R) MG; ZHG1 | $85.10 | $724.00 | $71.48–$470.60 | 88% | — source file |
| Harris Health Houston, TX HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ (QUANT RNA PCR - ZRNAR) | $85.10 | $724.00 | $71.48–$470.60 | 88% | — source file |
| Harris Health Houston, TX HIV-1 NA QUAN, HIVGIL | $85.10 | $659.00 | $71.48–$428.35 | 87% | — source file |
| Harris Health Houston, TX HIV-1 NUCLEIC ACID; QUANTITATIVE NAAT,CSF (LAB MISC) ARUP3000872 | $85.10 | $244.00 | $71.48–$231.13 | 65% | — source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC HIV QNT PCR | $88.00 | $176.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital one side Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC HIV-1 RT-QPCR | $271.35 | $405.00 | $85.10–$384.75 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital one side Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC HIV-1 RT-QPCR | $271.35 | $405.00 | $85.10–$384.75 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital one side Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC HIV-1 RT-QPCR | $271.35 | $405.00 | $85.10–$384.75 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital one side Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC HIV-1 QUANTITATIVE RT-PCR | $341.03 | $509.00 | $85.10–$483.55 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital one side Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC HIV-1 QUANTITATIVE RT-PCR | $341.03 | $509.00 | $85.10–$483.55 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Texas Children's Hospital one side Houston, TX · (832) 824-1000 TC HIV-1 QUANTITATIVE RT-PCR | $341.03 | $509.00 | $85.10–$483.55 | 33% | Mar 5, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $395.00 | $790.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC HIV-1 RNA QUANT PCR | $417.50 | $835.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $83.40, median $88.00, highest $271.35 — a 3.3× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $88.00. 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 4 of 4 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.