COVID-19 PCR test cost in Memphis, TN
In Memphis, TN-MS-AR, 12 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $27.90 to $44.64, with a median of $33.00. The lowest listed price is at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden — $5.10 less than the median here. Across Tennessee, the median is $37.65 at 44 hospitals.
Cash prices at 12 facilities across 7 cities for code 87635, as an outpatient — the setting a self-pay patient normally buys. Collected Sep 25, 2026; the hospital files themselves were last updated between Feb 27, 2026 and Feb 28, 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 Memphis, TN-MS-AR.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Crittenden lowest West Memphis, AR · (870) 394-7800 SARS-COV-2-COVID-19 AMP PRB | $27.90 | $186.00 | $48.36–$148.80 | 85% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Methodist Olive Branch Hospital one side Olive Branch, MS · (662) 932-9000 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $33.00 | $150.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Germantown Hosp one side Germantown, TN HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $33.00 | $150.00 | $21.55–$81.75 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist University Hospital one side Memphis, TN · (901) 516-8274 HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $33.00 | $150.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist Lebonheur Childrens Hosp one side Memphis, TN HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $33.00 | $150.00 | — | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist North Hospital one side Memphis, TN HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $33.00 | $150.00 | $21.55–$81.75 | 78% | — source file |
| Methodist South Hospital one side Memphis, TN HC Iadna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amplified Probe Tq - Sars-Cov-2 Rt Pcr | $33.00 | $150.00 | $21.55–$81.75 | 78% | — source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto Southaven, MS · (662) 772-4000 SARS-COV-2-COVID-19 AMP PRB | $37.20 | $186.00 | $48.36–$167.40 | 80% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville Collierville, TN SARS-COV-2-COVID-19 AMP PRB | $39.06 | $186.00 | $48.36–$167.40 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis Memphis, TN · (901) 226-5000 SARS-COV-2-COVID-19 AMP PRB | $39.06 | $186.00 | $41.68–$167.40 | 79% | Feb 28, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Women's Memphis, TN SARS-COV-2-COVID-19 AMP PRB | $39.06 | $186.00 | $48.36–$167.40 | 79% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
| Baptist Memorial Hospital-Tipton Covington, TN · (901) 476-2621 SARS-COV-2-COVID-19 AMP PRB | $44.64 | $186.00 | $44.64–$167.40 | 76% | Feb 27, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $27.90, median $33.00, highest $44.64 — a 1.6× difference within the same market.
As an inpatient, the same code is billed by 12 facilities here, median $33.00. 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 9 of 9 hospitals that publish insurer rates for this code here, the cash price is below the highest rate a health plan has negotiated, and at 5 it is 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.