COVID-19 PCR test cost in Denver, CO
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, 8 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $62.23 to $184.80, with a median of $147.43. The lowest listed price is at Denver Health and Hospital Authority — $85.20 less than the median here. Across Colorado, the median is $74.97 at 15 hospitals.
Cash prices at 8 facilities across 6 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 Apr 1, 2026 and Jun 25, 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority lowest Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC SARS-COV-2 BY PCR | $62.23 | $177.79 | $51.31–$179.43 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB COVID-19 INHOUSE LAB TEST NON CDC | $65.00 | $100.00 | $10.00–$92.00 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=CSHB COVID-19 SCREEN | $65.00 | $100.00 | $10.00–$92.00 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| Craig Hospital Englewood, CO HC SARS COV 2 AMP PROBE | $74.97 | $196.75 | $43.61–$177.08 | 62% | Jun 25, 2026 source file |
| Denver Health and Hospital Authority Denver, CO · (303) 436-4927 HC COVD2 PCR NATL JEWISH LAB | $135.52 | $387.20 | $51.31–$179.43 | 65% | Apr 30, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RNA QUALITATIVE NAAT (QST) (MF) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 BY NAA (ARUP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 AMPLIFIED PROBE | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RAPID MOLECULAR | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker one side Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RT PCR (VC) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 NAA (LABCORP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 (MAWD) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RNA QUALITATIVE NAAT (QST) (MF) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Parker Parker, CO · (303) 269-4000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 BY NAA (ARUP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 AMPLIFIED PROBE | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RAPID MOLECULAR | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock one side Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RT PCR (VC) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 AMPLIFIED PROBE | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 (MAWD) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RNA QUALITATIVE NAAT (QST) (MF) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 BY NAA (ARUP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 AMPLIFIED PROBE | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RAPID MOLECULAR | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter one side Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RT PCR (VC) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 NAA (LABCORP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 (MAWD) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RNA QUALITATIVE NAAT (QST) (MF) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Porter Denver, CO · (303) 778-1955 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 BY NAA (ARUP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Castle Rock Castle Rock, CO · (720) 455-5000 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 NAA (LABCORP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RAPID MOLECULAR | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton one side Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 RT PCR (VC) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 NAA (LABCORP) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| AdventHealth Littleton Littleton, CO · (303) 730-8900 HC COVID-19 SARS-COV-2 (MAWD) | $147.43 | $147.43 | — | — | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO · (720) 777-1234 HB=COVID-19 PCR - DIASORIN/CEPHEID ASSAY | $147.55 | $227.00 | $22.70–$208.84 | 35% | Apr 17, 2026 source file |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO · (303) 388-4461 HC COVID-19/SARS-COV-2 CPT 87635 INF AGENT DET W/WO RESP CDC SITE U0001 | $184.80 | $264.00 | $51.31–$224.40 | 30% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $62.23, median $147.43, highest $184.80 — a 3.0× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 8 facilities here, median $147.43. 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 4 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.