COVID-19 PCR test cost in Akron, OH
In Akron, OH, 4 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $70.50 to $257.25, with a median of $185.55. The lowest listed price is at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron — $115.05 less than the median here. Across Ohio, the median is $141.00 at 96 hospitals.
Cash prices at 4 facilities across 3 cities for code 87635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Nov 11, 2025 and Jul 14, 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 Akron, OH.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron lowest Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 HB SARS-COV-2 COVID-19, AMPLIFIED PROBE TECHNIQUE | $70.50 | $94.00 | $31.96–$92.97 | 25% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
| University Hospitals Portage Medical Center one side Ravenna, OH · (330) 297-2300 HC IADNA SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE TQ - SARS-COV-2 RT PCR | $141.00 | $188.00 | $44.37–$169.20 | 25% | Jul 14, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron one side Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 HB SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR, TEST ID COVID | $148.50 | $198.00 | $67.32–$195.82 | 25% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
| Akron General Medical Center Akron, OH · (330) 344-6000 COVID19 INHOUSE (POINT OF CARE LAB) | $230.10 | $354.00 | $0.95–$210.26 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Akron General Medical Center Akron, OH · (330) 344-6000 IADNA SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE TQ | $230.10 | $354.00 | $89.95–$354.00 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Akron General Medical Center Akron, OH · (330) 344-6000 COVID19 INHOUSE | $230.10 | $354.00 | $0.95–$210.26 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Akron General Medical Center Akron, OH · (330) 344-6000 COVID19 SENDOUT | $230.10 | $354.00 | $0.95–$210.26 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Akron General Medical Center Akron, OH · (330) 344-6000 COVID-19 MOLECULAR (POINT OF CARE LAB) | $230.10 | $354.00 | $0.95–$210.26 | 35% | Jun 15, 2026 source file |
| Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Fairlawn, OH Amplifed DNA or RNA probe detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Covid-19) antigen | $257.25 | $343.00 | $51.31–$813.08 | 25% | Jun 19, 2026 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 HB CORONAVIRUS2(SARS-COV2)COVID19, AMPLFD PROBE TCHNQ | $396.00 | $528.00 | $179.52–$522.19 | 25% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron one side Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 HB ARIES SARS-COV-2 ASSAY (COVID-19) - RT-PCR | $397.50 | $530.00 | $180.20–$524.17 | 25% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
| Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron Akron, OH · (330) 543-8290 COVID-19 | $397.50 | $530.00 | $180.20–$524.17 | 25% | Nov 11, 2025 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $70.50, median $185.55, highest $257.25 — a 3.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 2 facilities here, median $185.55. 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 3 of 4 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
This is the lab (PCR or similar amplification) test for the virus that causes COVID-19. It is more sensitive than a rapid antigen test and is often required before some procedures or travel.
What the price covers
The price usually covers running the test on a swab sample; the collection may be billed separately.