HIV viral load test cost in Lancaster, PA — inpatient
In Lancaster, PA, 3 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative) as an inpatient: from $160.31 to $474.60, with a median of $354.40. The lowest listed price is at Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center — $194.09 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $474.60 at 62 hospitals.
Cash prices at 3 facilities across 3 cities for code 87536, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . 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 Lancaster, PA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center lowest Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 87536 HIV-1 QUANT&REVRSE TRNSCRPJ Tech | $160.31 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center lowest Lancaster, PA · (223) 287-9000 87536 HIV VIRAL LOAD by Real Time PCR. Tech | $160.31 | $553.00 | $72.34–$442.40 | 71% | — source file |
| Ephrata Community Hospital Ephrata, PA · (717) 733-0311 Detection Test by Nucleic Acid for Hiv-1 Virus, Quantification | $354.40 | $443.00 | $282.72–$354.40 | 20% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC RNA REV PROG | $474.60 | $791.00 | $293.46–$672.35 | 40% | — source file |
| UPMC Lititz one side Lititz, PA · (717) 625-2000 HC HIV-1 RNA,QUANT RT PCR | $474.60 | $791.00 | $293.46–$672.35 | 40% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $160.31, median $354.40, highest $474.60 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $354.40 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 of 3 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.