HIV viral load test cost in Philadelphia, PA
In Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, 21 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative): from $85.00 to $862.35, with a median of $157.60. The lowest listed price is at Lower Bucks Hospital and 1 other hospital — $72.60 less than the median here. Across Pennsylvania, the median is $474.60 at 62 hospitals.
Cash prices at 21 facilities across 18 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 24, 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Bucks Hospital lowest Bristol, PA · (215) 785-9200 Hc Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $85.00 | $932.00 | $68.08–$745.60 | 91% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Roxborough Memorial Hospital lowest Philadelphia, PA · (215) 483-9900 Hc Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $85.00 | $664.81 | $68.08–$644.87 | 87% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Roxborough Memorial Hospital lowest Philadelphia, PA · (215) 483-9900 Hc Iadna Hiv-1 Quant & Reverse Transcription | $85.00 | $664.81 | $68.08–$644.87 | 87% | Sep 1, 2026 source file |
| Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes Camden, NJ · (856) 886-5373 HC Hiv-1 Rna by Pcr Qn Plasma | $124.80 | $1,248.00 | $7.54–$957.77 | 90% | — source file |
| Virtua Willingboro Hospital Willinboro, NJ · (609) 835-2900 HC Hiv-1 Rna by Pcr Qn Plasma | $124.80 | $1,248.00 | $7.54–$957.77 | 90% | — source file |
| Virtua Memorial Hospital Mount Holly, NJ · (609) 267-0700 HC Hiv-1 Rna by Pcr Qn Plasma | $124.80 | $1,248.00 | $7.54–$957.77 | 90% | — source file |
| West Jersey Hospital Voorhees, NJ · (856) 247-3000 HC Hiv-1 Rna by Pcr Qn Plasma | $124.80 | $1,248.00 | $7.54–$957.77 | 90% | — source file |
| West Jersey Hospital Voorhees, NJ · (856) 247-3000 HC Hiv-1 Rna by Pcr Qn Plasma | $124.80 | $1,248.00 | $7.54–$957.77 | 90% | — source file |
| Lankenau Medical Center Wynnewood, PA · (610) 645-2000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Ul Trasens | $157.60 | $394.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital Malvern, PA Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Ul Trasens | $157.60 | $394.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Riddle Memorial Hospital Media, PA · (610) 566-9400 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Ul Trasens | $157.60 | $394.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Bryn Mawr Hospital Bryn Mawr, PA · (610) 526-3000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Ul Trasens | $157.60 | $394.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Paoli Hospital Paoli, PA · (610) 648-1000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Ul Trasens | $157.60 | $394.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Bryn Mawr Hospital Bryn Mawr, PA · (610) 526-3000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Quant | $190.00 | $475.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital Malvern, PA Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Quant | $190.00 | $475.00 | — | 60% | — source file |
| Lankenau Medical Center Wynnewood, PA · (610) 645-2000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Quant | $190.00 | $475.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Paoli Hospital Paoli, PA · (610) 648-1000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Quant | $190.00 | $475.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Riddle Memorial Hospital Media, PA · (610) 566-9400 Hc Hiv-1 Rna Pcr Quant | $190.00 | $475.00 | — | 60% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 651-4000 Hiv 1 Rna Detect/Quant Mayo | $282.00 | $282.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Nemours Children's Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 651-4000 Hiv 1 Rna Detect/Quant Mayo | $282.00 | $282.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Elmer Elmer, NJ · (856) 363-1000 HIV-1RNA QUANT PCR | $288.27 | $288.27 | $58.29–$391.23 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mannington Salem, NJ HIV-1RNA QUANT PCR | $288.27 | $288.27 | $48.57–$391.23 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill Mullica Hill, NJ HIV-1RNA QUANT PCR | $288.27 | $288.27 | $58.29–$391.23 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| Inspira Health Center Woodbury Woodbury, NJ HIV-1RNA QUANT PCR | $288.27 | $288.27 | $55.14–$391.23 | — | Mar 24, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $288.60 | $444.00 | $44.40–$1,031.26 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quant Hiv-1 | $288.60 | $444.00 | $44.40–$1,031.26 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St Mary Medical Center Langhorne, PA · (215) 750-2003 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $288.60 | $444.00 | $44.40–$1,031.26 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $646.10 | $994.00 | $84.89–$1,191.28 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Warde Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 Ultrasensitive | $646.10 | $994.00 | $84.89–$1,191.28 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Warde Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $646.10 | $994.00 | $84.89–$1,191.28 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital Darby, PA · (215) 237-4000 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $646.10 | $994.00 | $84.89–$1,191.28 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $759.20 | $1,168.00 | $83.40–$1,262.01 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quant Hiv-1 | $759.20 | $1,168.00 | $83.40–$1,262.01 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| St. Francis Hospital Wilmington, DE · (302) 421-4100 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $759.20 | $1,168.00 | $83.40–$1,262.01 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Warde Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 Ultrasensitive | $826.80 | $1,272.00 | $85.10–$1,523.90 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Warde Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $826.80 | $1,272.00 | $85.10–$1,523.90 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $826.80 | $1,272.00 | $85.10–$1,523.90 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| Nazareth Hospital Philadelphia, PA · (215) 335-6000 HC Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 | $826.80 | $1,272.00 | $85.10–$1,523.90 | 35% | Mar 31, 2026 source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA · (215) 590-1000 Hiv-1 Detection Quant | $862.35 | $862.35 | $142.29–$776.12 | — | — source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA · (215) 590-1000 Hiv-1 Quantitative Naat,Plasma-Arup | $862.35 | $862.35 | $142.29–$776.12 | — | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $85.00, median $157.60, highest $862.35 — a 10.1× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 14 facilities here, median $288.27. 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 14 of 15 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.