HIV viral load test cost in Paducah, KY
In Paducah, KY-IL, 2 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $237.00 to $1,070.93, with a median of $653.97. The lowest listed price is at Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital — $416.97 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $690.96 at 15 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities 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 Sep 18, 2026 and Sep 18, 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 Paducah, KY-IL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital lowest Paducah, KY · (270) 444-2444 HC Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $237.00 | $395.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital Paducah, KY · (270) 444-2444 HC So Hiv-1, Quantification | $255.60 | $426.00 | — | 40% | — source file |
| Baptist Health Paducah Paducah, KY · (270) 575-2100 Detection test by nucleic acid for HIV-1 virus, quantification | $1,070.93 | $1,427.90 | $72.31–$2,855.80 | 25% | Sep 18, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $237.00, median $653.97, highest $1,070.93 — a 4.5× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 1 facility here, median $255.60. 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 the one hospital here that publishes insurer rates for this code, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated. 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.