COVID-19 PCR test cost in Helena, MT
In Helena, MT, 2 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $60.64 to $65.41, with a median of $63.03. The lowest listed price is at Montana Childrens Home & Hospital — $2.39 less than the median here. Across Montana, the median is $117.60 at 9 hospitals.
Cash prices at 2 facilities for code 87635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 22, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Mar 10, 2026 and Mar 10, 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 Helena, MT.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana Childrens Home & Hospital lowest Helena, MT · (406) 444-7500 Amplifed DNA or RNA probe detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Covid-19) antigen | $60.64 | $80.85 | $41.48–$128.28 | 25% | Mar 10, 2026 source file |
| St. Peter's Health Helena, MT · (406) 442-2480 LABORATORY - GENERAL CLASSIFICATION | $65.41 | $76.95 | $51.31 | 15% | — source file |
| St. Peter's Health Helena, MT · (406) 442-2480 HC COVID-19/SARS-COV-2 CPT 87635 INF AGENT DET W/WO RESP CDC SITE U0001 | $68.68 | $80.80 | $51.31 | 15% | — source file |
Outpatient: lowest $60.64, median $63.03, highest $65.41 — a 1.1× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 1 of 2 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.