HIV viral load test cost in Seattle, WA — inpatient
In Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, 14 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative) as an inpatient: from $91.50 to $691.20, with a median of $289.90. The lowest listed price is at Overlake Medical Center & Clinics — $198.40 less than the median here. Across Washington, the median is $402.83 at 32 hospitals.
Cash prices at 14 facilities across 12 cities for code 87536, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 28, 2026 and Apr 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 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics lowest Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna, Real Time Pcr (Non-Graph) | $91.50 | $183.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna, Pcr (Nongraph) Rfx/Geno | $109.25 | $218.50 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Overlake Medical Center & Clinics Bellevue, WA · (425) 688-5000 Hc Hiv-1 Rna, Pcr (Graph) Rfx/Geno | $109.25 | $218.50 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Saint Clare Hospital Lakewood, WA · (253) 588-1711 HC RNA REAL TIME PCR | $224.58 | $779.13 | $560.98–$584.35 | 71% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Anthony Hospital Gig Harbor, WA · (253) 530-2050 HC RNA REAL TIME PCR | $236.98 | $779.13 | $560.98–$584.35 | 70% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Highline Medical Center Burien, WA · (206) 431-5237 HC RNA REAL TIME PCR | $237.92 | $779.13 | $335.03–$701.22 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Francis Community Hospital Federal Way, WA · (253) 944-8100 HC RNA REAL TIME PCR | $244.51 | $779.13 | $560.98–$584.35 | 69% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| St Joseph Medical Center Tacoma, WA · (253) 627-4101 HC RNA REAL TIME PCR | $258.05 | $779.13 | $560.98–$584.35 | 67% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Enumclaw Regional Hospital Association Enumclaw, WA HC RNA REAL TIME PCR | $275.32 | $779.13 | $218.16–$701.22 | 65% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Virginia Mason Medical Center Seattle, WA · (206) 223-6600 INFECT AGENT DETECT,NUCLEIC ACID,HIV-1,QUANTIFICAT | $304.47 | $597.00 | $382.38–$477.60 | 49% | — source file |
| Cascade Valley Hospital Arlington, WA · (360) 435-2133 HC HIV PCR,QUANTITATION | $459.20 | $574.00 | $48.79–$516.60 | 20% | — source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $467.52 | $974.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $467.52 | $974.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $467.52 | $974.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Edmonds Edmonds, WA · (425) 640-4000 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $537.60 | $1,120.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $537.60 | $1,120.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Issaquah Issaquah, WA · (425) 313-4000 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $537.60 | $1,120.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Edmonds Edmonds, WA · (425) 640-4000 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $537.60 | $1,120.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Swedish Medical Center / Cherry Hill Seattle, WA · (206) 320-2000 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $537.60 | $1,120.00 | — | 52% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LAB | $582.40 | $1,120.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Providence Regional Medical Center Everett Everett, WA · (425) 261-2000 HC HIV ULTRA SENSITIVE PCR | $582.40 | $1,120.00 | — | 48% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Kaiser Permanente Central Hospital Seattle, WA · (206) 326-3000 "LAB TEST BY DNA, CPT 87536" | $691.20 | $864.00 | $64.00–$230.00 | 20% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $91.50, median $289.90, highest $691.20 — a 7.6× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 15 facilities here, median $304.47 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 8 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 6 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.