HIV viral load test cost in New Orleans, LA — inpatient
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative) as an inpatient: from $33.75 to $182.78, with a median of $43.96. The lowest listed price is at St Charles Parish Hospital — $10.21 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $172.20 at 49 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 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 — 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Charles Parish Hospital lowest Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC HIV-1 RNA DETECT/QUANT | $33.75 | $125.00 | — | 73% | — source file |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC HIV-1 RNA DETECT/QUANT | $40.00 | $125.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC HIV-1 RNA DETECT/QUANT | $43.96 | $157.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| Ochsner Medical Center – Kenner Kenner, LA · (504) 464-8065 HC HIV-1 RNA ULT QUANT BY PCR | $79.52 | $284.00 | — | 72% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC HIV-1 RNA DETECT/QUANT | $135.96 | $618.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Ochsner Clinic Foundation New Orleans, LA · (504) 842-3000 HC HIV-1 RNA ULT QUANT BY PCR | $135.96 | $618.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette, LA · (504) 826-9500 HC HIV-1 RNA ULT QUANT BY PCR | $153.28 | $479.00 | — | 68% | — source file |
| St Charles Parish Hospital Luling, LA · (985) 785-3644 HC HIV-1 RNA ULT QUANT BY PCR | $154.98 | $574.00 | — | 73% | — source file |
| The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC HIV-1 RNA DETECT/QUANT | $182.78 | $494.00 | — | 63% | — source file |
| The Ochsner West Campus Extended Care Hospital Jefferson, LA HC HIV-1 RNA ULT QUANT BY PCR | $182.78 | $494.00 | — | 63% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $33.75, median $43.96, highest $182.78 — a 5.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $163.86 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
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.