Lab tests CPT 87536 Inpatient — admitted to hospital

HIV viral load test cost in Syracuse, NY — inpatient

In Syracuse, NY, 2 hospitals list a cash price for HIV viral load test (HIV-1 RNA, quantitative) as an inpatient: from $96.20 to $164.00, with a median of $130.10. The lowest listed price is at St Josephs Hospital Health Center — $33.90 less than the median here. Across New York, the median is $216.67 at 64 hospitals.

Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 87536, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 31, 2026 and Mar 31, 2026.

Lowest$96.20St Josephs Hospital Health Center
Median$130.10half pay less
Highest$164.00in this market
Difference1.7×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 Syracuse, NY.

median
Lowest $96.20Highest $293.80

Hospitals, cheapest first

HospitalCash price List priceInsurers payOff listFile date
St Josephs Hospital Health Center lowest Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 $96.20 $148.00 $73.52–$191.48 35% Mar 31, 2026
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Crouse Hospital Syracuse, NY · (315) 470-7449 HIV 1 QNT, PLASMA $164.00 $164.00 — — —
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Crouse Hospital Syracuse, NY · (315) 470-7449 87536 IADNA HIV-1 QUANT & REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION_01 $255.00 $255.00 — — —
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St Josephs Hospital Health Center Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Quest Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quant Hiv-1 $293.80 $452.00 $73.52–$406.80 35% Mar 31, 2026
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St Josephs Hospital Health Center Syracuse, NY · (315) 448-5111 HC Warde Infectious Agent Nucleic Acid Quantification Hiv-1 Ultrasensitive $293.80 $452.00 $73.52–$406.80 35% Mar 31, 2026
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Inpatient: lowest $96.20, median $130.10, highest $164.00 — a 1.7× difference within the same market.

As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $130.10 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.

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.