COVID-19 PCR test cost in Houston, TX — inpatient
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, 11 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test) as an inpatient: from $51.31 to $95.00, with a median of $95.00. The lowest listed price is at Harris Health and 1 other hospital — $43.69 less than the median here. Across Texas, the median is $103.50 at 96 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 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 SARS-COV-2 COVID19 AMPLIFIED PROBE NON CDC LAB LBJ 87635 | $51.31 | $96.00 | $43.10–$112.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX SARS-COV-2 COVID19 AMPLIFIED PROBE NON CDC LAB LBJ 87635 | $51.31 | $96.00 | $43.10–$112.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE- NON CDC LAB 87635 | $51.31 | $96.00 | $43.10–$112.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Houston, TX SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE- NON CDC LAB | $51.31 | $96.00 | $43.10–$112.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE- NON CDC LAB 87635 | $51.31 | $96.00 | $43.10–$112.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Harris Health lowest Taub Loop Houston, TX · (713) 873-2000 SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMPLIFIED PROBE- NON CDC LAB | $51.31 | $96.00 | $43.10–$112.88 | 47% | — source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| The Methodist Hospital Houston, TX · (713) 790-2221 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC SARS COV-2 RNA PCR QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC SARS-COV-2 RNA DDPCR, QUAL FFPE | $95.00 | $190.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Baytown, TX · (281) 420-8600 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist West Houston Hospital Houston, TX · (832) 522-1000 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital Nassau Bay, TX · (281) 333-5503 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Cypress Hospital Cypress, TX · (346) 618-1506 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital The Woodlands, TX · (936) 270-2000 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Houston, TX · (281) 477-1000 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Sugar Land Hospital Sugar Land, TX · (281) 274-8000 HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
| Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital Katy, TX HC SARS-COV-2 COVID-19 AMP PRB | $133.50 | $267.00 | — | 50% | Apr 1, 2026 source file |
Inpatient: lowest $51.31, median $95.00, highest $95.00 — a 1.9× difference within the same market.
As an outpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $95.00 — that is the price to compare if you are not being admitted.
Cash or insurance?
At 2 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.