Lab tests CPT 87536 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

HIV viral load test cost in Pikeville, KY — inpatient

In Pikeville, KY, 2 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative) as an inpatient: from $127.80 to $163.80, with a median of $145.80. The lowest listed price is at Arh Our Lady of the Way — $18.00 less than the median here. Across Kentucky, the median is $261.42 at 54 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities across 2 cities for code 87536, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 27, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between — and —.

Lowest$127.80Arh Our Lady of the Way
Median$145.80half pay less
Highest$163.80in this market
Difference1.3×highest vs lowest

Where each hospital's price falls

Each dot is one hospital's cash price on a scale from the lowest to the highest in Pikeville, KY.

median
Lowest $127.80Highest $703.80

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
Arh Our Lady of the Way one side lowest Martin, KY · (606) 285-6400 HIV RNA RT-PCR (NON-GRAPH) $127.80 $213.00 $42.60–$187.44 40% —
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Arh Our Lady of the Way Martin, KY · (606) 285-6400 HIV RNA QUANT $163.80 $273.00 $54.60–$240.24 40% —
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Tug Valley Arh Regional Medical Center South Williamson, KY · (606) 237-1700 HIV RNA QUANT $163.80 $273.00 $62.79–$245.70 40% —
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Tug Valley Arh Regional Medical Center South Williamson, KY · (606) 237-1700 HIV-1 RNA DETECT/QUANT PLASMA $216.00 $360.00 $72.31–$324.00 40% —
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Arh Our Lady of the Way Martin, KY · (606) 285-6400 HIV RNA PCR (NNGRPH) RFX/GENO $703.80 $1,173.00 $234.60–$1,032.24 40% —
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Inpatient: lowest $127.80, median $145.80, highest $163.80 — a 1.3× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 3 facilities here, median $127.80 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

Cash or insurance?

At 2 of 2 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.