COVID-19 PCR test cost in New Orleans, LA
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, 5 hospitals list a cash price for COVID-19 PCR test (SARS-CoV-2 lab test): from $25.90 to $60.72, with a median of $27.52. The lowest listed price is at Touro Infirmary — $1.62 less than the median here. Across Louisiana, the median is $46.13 at 8 hospitals.
Cash prices at 5 facilities across 2 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 Jun 24, 2026 and Jul 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 New Orleans-Metairie, LA.
Hospitals, cheapest first
| Hospital | Cash price | List price | Insurers pay | Off list | File date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Ia Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $25.90 | $185.00 | $131.35–$94.17 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary lowest New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $25.90 | $185.00 | $131.35–$94.17 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $27.52 | $172.00 | $115.45–$92.36 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $27.52 | $172.00 | $103.20–$80.45 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Ia Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $27.52 | $172.00 | $103.20–$80.45 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Ia Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $42.93 | $159.00 | $111.30–$77.74 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $42.93 | $159.00 | $111.30–$77.74 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| Touro Infirmary New Orleans, LA · (504) 897-8247 Arup Covid19 Ia Dna/Rna Amp Prbe Teq | $44.24 | $316.00 | $116.29–$89.79 | 86% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Ia Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $48.00 | $300.00 | $115.45–$92.36 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LA · (504) 347-5511 Arup Covid19 Ia Dna/Rna Amp Prbe Teq | $50.40 | $315.00 | $115.45–$94.50 | 84% | Jun 30, 2026 source file |
| New Orleans East Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 592-6600 Arup Covid19 Ia Dna/Rna Amp Prbe Teq | $50.72 | $317.00 | $106.89–$80.45 | 84% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Sars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $60.72 | $276.00 | $115.45–$95.28 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Ia Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $60.72 | $276.00 | $115.45–$95.28 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
| Childrens Hospital New Orleans, LA · (504) 899-9511 Arup Covid19 Ia Dna/Rna Amp Prbe Teq | $79.38 | $294.00 | $114.66–$91.14 | 73% | Jun 24, 2026 source file |
| University Med Center New Orleans, LA · (504) 702-3000 Arup Covid19 Ia Dna/Rna Amp Prbe Teq | $112.64 | $512.00 | $115.45–$77.00 | 78% | Jul 1, 2026 source file |
Outpatient: lowest $25.90, median $27.52, highest $60.72 — a 2.3× difference within the same market.
Cash or insurance?
At 5 of 5 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.
10 rows held back from this comparison
They are priced below $1 or below a tenth of the national median for code 87635 ($103.00). Such a line is almost always a physician's fee billed separately, an assistant's share or a placeholder — a real charge, but not the price of the procedure itself.
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LAEj Ref Lab Covid-19 Pcr Quest | $7.84 | file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LASars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $7.84 | file |
| Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LAIa Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $7.84 | file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LAEj Ref Lab Covid-19 Pcr Quest | $7.84 | file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LASars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $7.84 | file |
| East Jefferson General Hospital Metairie, LAIa Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $7.84 | file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LAEj Ref Lab Covid-19 Pcr Quest | $7.84 | file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LASars-Cov-2/Covid-19 (Convid19pcr) Non-Cdc | $7.84 | file |
| Lakeside Hospital Metairie, LAIa Dna/Rna Sars-Cov-2 Covid-19 Amp Prbe Teq | $7.84 | file |
| West Jefferson Medical Center Marrero, LAEj Ref Lab Covid-19 Pcr Quest | $8.96 | file |