COVID-19 PCR test cost in Birmingham, AL — inpatient
In Birmingham, AL, 5 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test) as an inpatient: from $161.25 to $382.55, with a median of $382.55. The lowest listed price is at The Children's Hospital of Alabama — $221.30 less than the median here. Across Alabama, the median is $144.22 at 12 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 3 cities for code 87635, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 1, 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 Birmingham, AL.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Uahsf Diagnostic Virology Covid-19 by Amplified Probe Technique - Adj 87635 | $161.25 | $375.00 | $255.00–$337.50 | 57% | — source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Uahsf Diagnostic Virology Covid-19 by Amplified Probe Technique - Adj 87635 | $161.25 | $375.00 | $255.00–$337.50 | 57% | — source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama lowest Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Uahsf Diagnostic Virology Covid-19 by Amplified Probe Technique - Adj 87635 | $161.25 | $375.00 | $375.00 | 57% | — source file |
| Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 877-1000 Sarscov2/Cov19 Amp Prb | $238.00 | $238.00 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Shelby Hospital Alabaster, AL · (205) 620-8100 Hc Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prb | $382.55 | $382.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Walker Hospital Jasper, AL · (205) 387-4000 Hc Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prb | $382.55 | $382.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Health Princeton Hospital Birmingham, AL · (205) 783-3800 Hc Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prb | $382.55 | $382.55 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama one side Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $455.99 | $1,060.44 | $721.10–$954.40 | 57% | — source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama one side Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $455.99 | $1,060.44 | $1,060.44 | 57% | — source file |
| The Children's Hospital of Alabama one side Birmingham, AL · (205) 939-9100 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $455.99 | $1,060.44 | $721.10–$954.40 | 57% | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $161.25, median $382.55, highest $382.55 — a 2.4× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 5 facilities here, median $382.55 — 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 and 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.