HIV viral load test cost in Los Angeles, CA
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 23 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $29.97 to $1,099.25, with a median of $378.56. The lowest listed price is at UCI Health - Placentia Linda and 1 other hospital — $348.59 less than the median here. Across California, the median is $272.16 at 89 hospitals.
Cash prices at 23 facilities across 17 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 Nov 26, 2025 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCI Health - Placentia Linda lowest Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HIV-1 QUANT | $29.97 | $74.93 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Fountain Valley lowest Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HIV-1 QUANT/5 | $29.97 | $74.93 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $31.20 | $65.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $31.20 | $65.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $31.20 | $65.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian Newport Beach, CA · (949) 764-4624 HC Hiv Ultra Sensitive Pcr | $42.25 | $65.00 | — | 35% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| UCI Health - Fountain Valley Orange, CA · (714) 456-7890 HIV-1 QUANT | $45.60 | $114.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center Inglewood, CA · (310) 673-4660 HIV RNA PCR W/GRAPH | $85.00 | $351.00 | $15.32–$351.00 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center Inglewood, CA · (310) 673-4660 HCV PCR QUAL | $85.00 | $340.25 | $15.32–$351.00 | 75% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center Inglewood, CA · (310) 673-4660 HIV-1 MG GENOTYPING RFLX2 | $85.00 | $70.00 | $15.32–$351.00 | -21% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center Inglewood, CA · (310) 673-4660 HIV-1 MG GENOTYPING RFLX1 | $85.00 | $140.00 | $15.32–$351.00 | 39% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Centinela Hospital Medical Center Inglewood, CA · (310) 673-4660 RNA, REAL TIME PCR(NON-GPH) LC | $85.00 | $87.30 | $15.32–$351.00 | 3% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital one side Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 LC 550420 RNA, RT PCR(GPH) | $85.00 | $98.00 | $26.19–$386.00 | 13% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 LC 550422 RNA,PCR(GPH)RFX/GENO | $85.00 | $351.00 | $26.19–$386.00 | 76% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 LC 550430 RNA,RT PCR(NGPH) | $85.00 | $87.30 | $26.19–$386.00 | 3% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 LC550432 RNA,PCR(NGPH)RFX/GENO | $85.00 | $386.00 | $26.19–$386.00 | 78% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 LC 551887 RNA,B-DNA,QNT,N-GPH | $85.00 | $231.43 | $26.19–$386.00 | 63% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| La Palma Intercommunity Hospital La Palma, CA · (714) 670-7400 Hc Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $85.00 | $330.00 | $85.10–$330.00 | 74% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Encino Hospital Medical Center Encino, CA · (818) 995-5000 HIV 1 RNA PCR* LC | $85.00 | $98.00 | $29.40–$98.00 | 13% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 HIV RNA,REAL TIME PCR* LC | $85.00 | $87.30 | $26.19–$386.00 | 3% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Sherman Oaks Hospital Sherman Oaks, CA · (818) 981-7111 LC 162164 RNA, B-DNA, QUANT | $85.00 | $97.77 | $26.19–$386.00 | 13% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 HB HIV 1 RNA QT PCR | $111.24 | $171.15 | — | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 Clinical and Anatomical Laboratory Services | $111.24 | $171.15 | $147.94–$659.67 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 Outpatient Global Laboratory, Radiology and Diagnostic Services | $111.24 | $171.15 | $147.94–$659.67 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Marina Hospital Marina del Rey, CA · (310) 823-8911 Laboratory Services | $111.24 | $171.15 | $147.94–$659.67 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Mission Hospital Regional Med Center Mission Viejo, CA · (949) 364-1400 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $141.60 | $295.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Jude Hospital Fullerton, CA · (714) 992-3000 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $141.60 | $295.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Hospital of Orange Orange, CA · (714) 633-9111 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $141.60 | $295.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA · (323) 783-4011 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Irvine Irvine, CA IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Panorama City Panorama City, CA · (818) 375-2000 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Downey Downey, CA · (562) 461-6007 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Orange County - Anaheim Anaheim, CA · (714) 279-4000 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - South Bay Harbor City, CA · (310) 325-5111 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Baldwin Park Baldwin Park, CA · (626) 851-1011 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - West la Los Angeles, CA · (213) 857-2201 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital - Woodland Hills Woodland Hills, CA · (818) 719-3800 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION | $378.56 | $728.00 | $59.00–$175.00 | 48% | — source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 HB LAB HIV QUANTITATION BY PCR | $409.76 | $630.40 | — | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA); HIV-1, QUANTIFICATION | $409.76 | $630.40 | $208.84–$640.23 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 HB HIV-1 RNA, QN PCR, CSF | $409.76 | $630.40 | — | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 Laboratory Services | $409.76 | $630.40 | $208.84–$640.23 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles, CA · (310) 423-5000 INFECTIOUS AGENT DETECTION BY NUCLEIC ACID (DNA OR RNA); HIV-1, REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION AND QUANTIFICATION | $409.76 | $630.40 | $208.84–$640.23 | 35% | Nov 26, 2025 source file |
| Keck Hospital of USC Los Angeles, CA · (323) 442-8656 Hiv-1 Quant+Revrse Trnscrpj | $902.00 | $902.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| USC Kenneth Norris Jr Cancer Hospital Los Angeles, CA Hiv-1 Quant+Revrse Trnscrpj | $1,099.25 | $1,099.25 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $29.97, median $378.56, highest $1,099.25 — a 36.7× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 20 facilities here, median $378.56. 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 13 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.
3 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 87536 ($283.14). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| UCI Health - Lakewood Orange, CAHIV-1 QUANT/5 | $20.00 | file |
| UCI Health - Los Alamitos Orange, CAHIV-1 QUANT/5 | $20.00 | file |
| UCI Health - Los Alamitos Orange, CAHIV-1 QUANT | $24.00 | file |