COVID-19 PCR test cost in Detroit, MI — inpatient
In Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, 11 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test) as an inpatient: from $38.48 to $226.00, with a median of $38.64. The lowest listed price is at Harper University Hospital and 3 other hospitals — $0.16 less than the median here. Across Michigan, the median is $70.81 at 59 hospitals.
Cash prices at 11 facilities across 8 cities for code 87635, as an inpatient (admitted to hospital) . Collected Sep 23, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Apr 6, 2026 and Sep 2, 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harper University Hospital lowest Detroit, MI · (313) 745-6211 SARSCOV2 COVID19 AMP PRB | $38.48 | $51.31 | $1.00–$78.21 | 25% | Sep 2, 2026 source file |
| VHS Detroit Receiving Hospital lowest Detroit, MI · (313) 745-2941 SARSCOV2 COVID19 AMP PRB | $38.48 | $51.31 | — | 25% | Apr 7, 2026 source file |
| VHS Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan lowest Detroit, MI SARSCOV2 COVID19 AMP PRB | $38.48 | $51.31 | — | 25% | Apr 8, 2026 source file |
| VHS Childrens Hospital of Michigan lowest Detroit, MI · (313) 745-5437 SARSCOV2 COVID19 AMP PRB | $38.48 | $51.31 | — | 25% | Apr 6, 2026 source file |
| Harper University Hospital lowest Detroit, MI · (313) 745-6211 SARSCOV2 COVID19 AMP PRB | $38.48 | $51.31 | $1.00–$78.21 | 25% | Aug 20, 2026 source file |
| Henry Ford Health Novi, MI CORONAVIRUS COVID19*87635 | $38.64 | $69.00 | $22.85–$58.75 | 44% | — source file |
| Henry Ford Health Southfield, MI · (248) 849-3000 CORONAVIRUS COVID19*87635 | $38.64 | $69.00 | $22.85–$58.75 | 44% | — source file |
| William Beaumont Hospital Troy, MI · (248) 964-8800 Hc Novel Covid-19 Detect Agent Dna Quant | $226.00 | $226.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Wayne Hospital Wayne, MI · (734) 467-4175 Hc Novel Covid-19 Detect Agent Dna Quant | $226.00 | $226.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Corewell Health Trenton Hospital Trenton, MI · (734) 671-3800 Hc Novel Covid-19 Detect Agent Dna Quant | $226.00 | $226.00 | — | — | — source file |
| William Beaumont Hospital Grosse Pointe, MI · (313) 473-1000 Hc Novel Covid-19 Detect Agent Dna Quant | $226.00 | $226.00 | — | — | — source file |
| Beaumont Hospital - Taylor Taylor, MI · (313) 295-5000 Hc Novel Covid-19 Detect Agent Dna Quant | $226.00 | $226.00 | — | — | — source file |
Inpatient: lowest $38.48, median $38.64, highest $226.00 — a 5.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 26 facilities here, median $57.81 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 3 of 3 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.